The   Works  of 

E  •  P  •  ROE 


SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 

PETER  FENELON  COLLIER  &  SON 

MCM 


COPYRIGHT,  i9bi, 
3v  DOOD,  MEAD,  &  COMPAMV. 


I  Urtifcnte  tfjfg  3300fc 

TO 

MR.    CHARLES    DOWNING, 

A  Neighbor,  Friend,  and  Horticulturist, 

PXOM   WHOM   I    SHALL   ESTEEM    IT  A    PRIVILEGE   TO  LEARN 
IW   COMING  YEARS  AS  I  HAVB   IN   THE  PAST. 


PREFACE. 


A  BOOK  should  be  judged  somewhat  in  view  of  what  It 
attempts.  One  of  the  chief  objects  of  this  little  volume 
is  to  lure  men  and  women  back  to  their  original  calling,  that 
of  gardening.  I  am  decidedly  under  the  impression  that 
Eve  helped  Adam,  especially  as  the  sun  declined.  I  am 
sure  that  they  had  small  fruits  for  breakfast,  dinner  and 
supper,  and  would  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  they  ate  some 
between  meals.  Even  we  poor  mortals  who  have  sinned 
more  than  once,  and  must  give  our  minds  to  the  effort  not 
to  appear  unnatural  in  many  hideous  styles  of  dress,  can 
fare  as  well.  The  Adams  and  Eves  of  every  generation  can 
have  an  Eden  if  they  wish.  Indeed,  I  know  of  many  in- 
stances in  which  Eve  creates  a  beautiful  and  fruitful  garden 
without  any  help  from  Adam. 

The  theologians  show  that  we  have  inherited  much  evil 
from  our  first  parents,  but,  in  the  general  disposition  to  have 
a  garden,  can  we  not  recognize  a  redeeming  ancestral  trait? 
I  would  like  to  contribute  my  little  share  toward  increasing 
this  tendency,  believing  that  as  humanity  goes  back  to  its 
first  occupation  it  may  also  acquire  some  of  the  primal  gar- 
dener's characteristics  before  he  listened  to  temptation  and 
ceased  to  be  even  a  gentleman.  When  he  brutally  blamed 


PREFACE. 

the  woman,  it  was  time  he  was  turned  out  of  Eden.  All 
the  best  things  of  the  garden  suggest  refinement  and  cour- 
tesy. Nature  might  have  contented  herself  with  producing 
seeds  only,  but  she  accompanies  the  prosaic  action  with 
fragrant  flowers  and  delicious  fruit.  It  would  be  well  to 
remember  this  in  the  ordinary  courtesies  of  life. 

Moreover,  since  the  fruit-garden  and  farm  do  not  develop 
in  a  straightforward,  matter-of-fact  way,  why  should  I  write 
about  them  after  the  formal  and  terse  fashion  of  a  manual 
or  scientific  treatise  ?  The  most  productive  varieties  of  fruit 
blossom  and  have  some  foliage  which  may  not  be  very 
beautiful,  any  more  than  the  departures  from  practical  prose 
in  this  book  are  interesting ;  but,  as  a  leafless  plant  or  bush, 
laden  with  fruit,  would  appear  gaunt  and  naked,  so,  to  the 
writer,  a  book  about  them  without  any  attempt  at  foliage 
and  flowers  would  seem  unnatural.  The  modern  chronicler 
has  transformed  history  into  a  fascinating  story.  Even  sci- 
ence is  now  taught  through  the  charms  of  fiction.  Shall 
this  department  of  knowledge,  so  generally  useful,  be  left 
only  to  technical  prose  ?  Why  should  we  not  have  a  class 
of  books  as  practical  as  the  gardens,  fields,  and  crops,  con- 
cerning which  they  are  written,  and  at  the  same  time  having 
much  of  the  light,  shade,  color,  and  life  of  the  out-of-door 
world  ?  I  merely  claim  that  I  have  made  an  attempt  in  the 
right  direction,  but,  like  an  unskilful  artist,  may  have  so 
confused  my  lights,  shades,  and  mixed  my  colors  so  badly, 
that  my  pictures  resemble  a  strawberry-bed  in  which  the 
weeds  have  the  better  of  the  fruit. 

Liberal  outlines  of  this  work  appeared  in  "Scribner*s 
Magazine,"  but  the  larger  scope  afforded  by  the  book  has 
enabled  me  to  treat  many  subjects  for  which  there  was  no 


PREFACE. 

space  in  the  magazine,  and  also  to  give  my  views  more  fully 
concerning  topics  only  touched  upon  in  the  serial.  As  the 
fruits  described  are  being  improved,  so  in  the  future  other 
and  more  skilful  horticulturists  will  develop  the  literature 
relating  to  them  into  its  true  proportions. 

I  am  greatly  indebted  to  the  instruction  received  at  vari- 
ous times  from  those  venerable  fathers  and  authorities  on 
all  questions  relating  to  Eden-like  pursuits,  —  Mr.  Chas. 
Downing  of  Newburgh,  and  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder  of 
Boston,  Mr.  J.  J.  Thomas,  Dr.  Geo.  Thurber;  to  such 
valuable  works  as  those  of  A.  S.  Fuller,  A.  J.  Downing, 
P.  Barry,  J.  M.  Merrick,  Jr.,  and  some  English  authors ;  to 
the  live  horticultural  journals  in  the  East,  West,  and  South ; 
and,  last  but  not  least,  to  many  plain,  practical  fruit- 
growers, who  are  as  well  informed  and  sensible  as  they  are 
modest  in  expressing  their  opinions. 

CORNWALL-ON-THE-HUDSON, 
NEW  YORK. 


PREFACE   TO   THE   NEW   EDITION. 


page  338  of  this  volume  will  be  found  the  following 
words  :  "  To  attempt  to  describe  all  the  strawberries 
that  have  been  named  would  be  a  task  almost  as  intermi- 
nable as  useless.  This  whole  question  of  varieties  presents 
a  different  phase  every  four  or  five  years.  Therefore  I  treat 
the  subject  in  my  final  chapter,  in  order  that  I  may  give 
revision,  as  often  as  there  shall  be  occasion  for  it,  without 
disturbing  the  body  of  the  book..  A  few  years  since  certain 
varieties  were  making  almost  as  great  a  sensation  as  the 
Sharpless.  They  are  now  regarded  as  little  better  than 
weeds  in  most  localities."  Now  that  my  publishers  ask  me 
to  attempt  this  work  of  revision,  I  find  that  I  shrink  from  it, 
for  reasons  natural  and  cogent  to  my  mind.  Possibly  the 
reader  may  see  them  in  the  same  light.  The  principles  of 
cultivation,  treatment  of  soils,  fertilizing,  etc.,  remain  much 
the  same.  My  words  relating  to  these  topics  were  penned 
when  knowledge  —  the  result  of  many  years  of  practical  ex- 
perience—  was  fresh  in  memory.  Subsequent  observation 
has  confirmed  the  views  I  then  held,  and,  what  is  of  far 
more  weight  in  my  estimation,  they  have  been  endorsed  by 
the  best  and  most  thoroughly  informed  horticulturists  in  the 
land.  I  wrote  what  I  then  thought  was  true ;  I  now  read 
what  has  been  declared  true  by  highest  authorities.  I  have 
more  confidence  in  their  judgment  than  in  my  own,  and, 


12  PREFACE   TO    THE  NEW  EDITION 

having  been  so  fortunate  as  to  gain  their  approval,  I  fear  to 
meddle  with  a  record  which,  in  a  sense,  has  become  theirs 
as  well  as  mine.  Therefore  I  have  decided  to  leave  the 
body  of  the  book  untouched. 

When  I  read  the  lists  of  varieties  I  found  many  that  have 
become  obsolete,  many  that  were  never  worthy  of  a  name. 
Should  I  revise  these  lists,  as  I  fully  expected  to  do,  from 
time  to  time?  At  present  I  have  concluded  that  I  will  not, 
for  the  following  reasons : 

When,  between  six  and  seven  years  ago,  I  wrote  the  de- 
scriptions of  the  various  kinds  of  fruit  then  in  vogue,  I  natu- 
rally and  inevitably  reflected  the  small-fruit  world  as  it  then 
existed.  The  picture  may  have  be,en  imperfect  and  dis- 
torted, but  I  gave  it  as  I  saw  it.  With  all  its  faults  I  would 
like  to  keep  that  picture  for  future  reference.  The  time 
may  come  when  none  of  the  varieties  then  so  highly  praised 
and  valued  will  be  found  in  our  fields  or  gardens.  For  that 
very  reason  I  should  like  to  look  back  to  some  fixed  and 
objective  point  which  would  enable  me  to  estimate  the 
mutations  which  had  occurred.  Originators  of  new  varieties 
are  apt  to  speak  too  confidently  and  exultantly  of  their 
novelties ;  purchasers  are  prone  to  expect  too  much  of  them. 
Both  might  obtain  useful  lessons  by  turning  to  a  record  of 
equally  lauded  novelties  of  other  days.  Therefore  I  would 
like  to  leave  that  sketch  of  varieties  as  seen  in  1 880  unal- 
tered. To  change  the  figure,  the  record  may  become  a 
landmark,  enabling  us  to  estimate  future  progress  more  ac- 
curately. Should  the  book  still  meet  with  the  favor  which 
has  been  accorded  to  it  in  the  past,  there  can  be  frequent 
revisions  of  the  supplemental  lists  which  are  now  given. 
Although  no  longer  engaged  in  the  business  of  raising  and 
selling  plants,  I  have  not  lost  my  interest  in  the  plants 
themselves.  I  hope  to  obtain  much  of  my  recreation  in 


PREFACE   TO   THE  NEW  EDITION.  13 

testing  the  new  varieties  offered  from  year  to  year.  In 
engaging  in  such  pursuits  even  the  most  cynical  cannot 
suspect  any  other  purpose  than  that  of  observing  impartially 
the  behavior  of  the  varieties  on  trial. 

I  will  maintain  my  grasp  on  the  button- hole  of  the  reader 
only  long  enough  to  state  once  more  a  pet  theory,  —  one 
which  I  hope  for  leisure  to  test  at  some  future  time.  Far 
be  it  from  me  to  decry  the  disposition  to  raise  new  seedling 
varieties ;  by  this  course  substantial  progress  has  been  and 
will  be  made.  But  there  is  another  method  of  advance 
which  may  promise  even  better  results. 

In  many  of  the  catalogues  of  to-day  we  find  many  of  the 
fine  old  varieties  spoken  of  as  enfeebled  and  fallen  from 
their  first  estate.  This  is  why  they  decline  in  popular  favor 
and  pass  into  oblivion.  Little  wonder  that  these  varieties 
have  become  enfeebled,  when  we  remember  how  ninety- 
nine  hundredths  of  the  plants  are  propagated.  I  will  briefly 
apply  my  theory  to  one  of  the  oldest  kinds  still  in  existence, 
—  Wilson's  Albany.  If  I  should  set  out  a  bed  of  Wilsons 
this  spring,  I  would  eventually  discover  a  plant  that  sur- 
passed the  others  in  vigor  and  productiveness  —  one  that 
to  a  greater  degree  than  the  others  exhibited  the  true  char- 
acteristics of  the  variety.  I  should  then  clear  away  all  the 
other  plants  near  it  and  let  this  one  plant  propagate  itself, 
until  there  were  enough  runners  for  another  bed.  From 
this  a  second  selection  of  the  best  and  most  characteristic 
plants  would  be  made  and  treated  in  like  manner.  It  ap- 
pears to  me  reasonable  and  in  accordance  with  nature  that, 
by  this  careful  and  continued  selection,  an  old  variety  could 
be  brought  to  a  point  of  excellence  far  surpassing  its  pristine 
condition,  and  that  the  higher  and  better  strain  would  be- 
come fixed  and  uniform,  unless  it  was  again  treated  with  the 
neglect  which  formerly  caused  the  deterioration.  By  this 


14  PREFACE   TO   THE  NEW  EDITION. 

method  of  selection  and  careful  propagation  the  primal  vigor 
shown  by  the  varieties  which  justly  become  popular  may 
be  but  the  starting-point  on  a  career  of  well-doing  that  can 
scarcely  be  limited.  Is  it  asked,  "  Why  is  not  this  done  by 
plant-growers?  "  You,  my  dear  reader,  may  be  one  of  the 
reasons.  You  may  be  ready  to  expend  even  a  dollar  a  plant 
for  some  untested  and  possibly  valueless  novelty,  and  yet  be 
unwilling  to  give  a  dollar  a  hundred  for  the  best  standard 
variety  in  existence.  If  I  had  Wilsons  propagated  as  I  have 
described,  and  asked  ten  dollars  a  thousand  for  them,  nine 
out  of  ten  would  write  back  that  they  could  buy  the  variety 
for  two  dollars  per  thousand.  So  they  could ;  and  they 
could  also  buy  horses  at  ten  dollars  each,  and  no  one  could 
deny  that  they  were  horses.  One  of  the  chief  incentives  of 
nurserymen  to  send  out  novelties  is  that  they  may  have 
some  plants  for  sale  on  which  they  can  make  a  profit. 
When  the  people  are  educated  up  to  the  point  of  paying 
for  quality  in  plants  and  trees  as  they  are  in  respect  to  live- 
stock, there  will  be  careful  and  capable  men  ready  to  supply 
the  demand. 

Beginning  on  page  375,  the  reader  will  find  supplemental 
bits  of  varieties  which  have  appeared  to  me  worthy  of  men- 
tion at  the  present  time.  I  may  have  erred  in  my  selection 
of  the  newer  candidates  for  favor,  and  have  given  some  un- 
warranted impressions  in  regard  to  them.  Let  the  reader 
remember  the  opinion  of  a  veteran  fruit-grower.  "  No  true, 
accurate  knowledge  of  a  variety  can  be  had,"  he  said,  "  un- 
til it  has  been  at  least  ten  years  in  general  cultivation." 

I  will  now  take  my  leave,  in  the  hope  that  when  I  have 
something  further  to  say,  I  shall  not  be  unwelcome. 

E.P.  R. 

CORNWALL-ON-THE-HUDSON,  N-  Y. 

January  16,  1886. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PACK 

I.    PRELIMINARY  PARLEY 17 

II.     THE  FRUIT  GARDEN ,    .  24 

III.  SMALL  FRUIT  FARMING  AND  ITS  PROFITS      .  34 

IV.  STRAWBERRIES  :  THE  FIVE  SPECIES  AND  THEIR 

HISTORY 44 

V.     IDEAL  STRAWBERRIES  VERSUS  THOSE  OF  THE 

FIELD  AND  MARKET      57 

VI.    CHOICE  OP  SOIL  AND  LOCATION 62 

VII.     PREPARING  AND  ENRICHING  THE  SOIL  ...  66 

VIII.     PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE    ...  77 
IX.    THE  PREPARATION  OF  SOILS  COMPARATIVELY 

UNFAVORABLE — CLAY,  SAND,  ETC.    ...  91 

X.    COMMERCIAL  AND  SPECIAL  FERTILIZERS    .    .  99 
XI.    OBTAINING    PLANTS    AND    IMPROVING    OUR 

STOCK 109 

XII.    WHEN  SHALL  WE  PLANT? 114 

XIII.  WHAT  SHALL  WE  PLANT?    VARIETIES,  THEIR 

CHARACTER  AND  ADAPTATION  TO  SOILS    .  120 

XIV.  SETTING  OUT  PLANTS 133 

XV.    CULTIVATION .  139 

XVI.    A  SOUTHERN  STRAWBERRY  FARM,  AND  METH- 
ODS OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH    ....  153 
XVII.    FORCING  STRAWBERRIES  UNDER  GLASS     .    .  182 
XVIII.    ORIGINATING  NEW  VARIETIES  —  HYBRIDIZA- 
TION .                 ....                 ...  iSS 


1 6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XIX.    RASPBERRIES  —  SPECIES,  HISTORY,  PROPA- 
GATION, ETC.  . 199 

XX.    RASPBERRIES — PRUNING — STAKING— MULCH- 
ING —  WINTER  PROTECTION,  ETC.    .    .    .  211 
XXI.    RASPBERRIES — VARIETIES  OF  THE  FOREIGN 

AND  NATIVE  SPECIES 219 

XXII.    RUBUS    OCCIDENT ALIS  —  BLACK-CAP    AND 

PURPLE-CANE  RASPBERRIES 230 

XXIII.  THE  RASPBERRIES  OF  THE  FUTURE     .    .    .  236 

XXIV.  BLACKBERRIES  —  VARIETIES,   CULTIVATION, 

ETC 244 

XXV.    CURRANTS  —  CHOICE  OF  SOIL,  CULTIVATION, 

PRUNING,  ETC 253 

XXVI.     CURRANTS,  CONTINUED  —  PROPAGATION,  VA- 
RIETIES    262 

XXVII.     GOOSEBERRIES 272 

XXVIII.    DISEASES  AND  INSECT  ENEMIES  OF  SMALL 

FRUITS 279 

XXIX.    PICKING  AND  MARKETING 298 

XXX.     IRRIGATION 308 

XXXI.    SUGGESTIVE    EXPERIENCES    FROM    WIDELY 

SEPARATED    LOCALITIES 3l6 

XXXII.    A  FEW  RULES  AND  MAXIMS 331 

XXXIII.  VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES      ......  338 

XXXIV.  VARIETIES  OF  OTHER  SMALL  FRUITS  .    .    .  367 
XXXV.    CLOSING  WORDS 372 

APPENDIX    V 375 

INDEX     .        .            383 


SUCCESS  WITH    SMALL    FRUITS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PRELIMINARY   PARLEY. 

TN  the  ages  that  were  somewhat  shadowed,  to  say  the 
•*"  least,  when  Nature  indulged  her  own  wild  moods  in 
man  and  the  world  he  trampled  on  rather  than  cultivated, 
there  was  a  class  who  in-  their  dreams  and  futile  efforts  be- 
came the  unconscious  prophets  of  our  own  time,  —  the  Al- 
chemists. For  centuries  they  believed  they  could  transmute 
base  metals  into  gold  and  silver.  Modern  knowledge  ena- 
bles us  to  work  changes  more  beneficial  than  the  alchemist 
ever  dreamed  of;  and  it  shall  be  my  aim  to  make  one  of 
these  secrets  as  open  as  the  sunlight  in  the  fields  and  gar- 
dens wherein  the  beautiful  mutations  occur.  To  turn  iron 
into  gold  would  be  a  prosaic,  barren  process  that  might 
result  in  trouble  to  all  concerned,  but  to  transform  heavy 
black  earth  and  insipid  rain-water  into  edible  rubies,  with 
celestial  perfume  and  ambrosial  flavor,  is  indeed  an  art  that 
appeals  to  the  entire  race,  and  enlists  that  imperious  nether 
organ  which  has  never  lost  its  power  over  heart  or  brain.  As 
long,  therefore,  as  humanity's  mouth  waters  at  the  thought 
of  morsels  more  delicious  even  than  "  sin  under  the  tongue," 
I  am  sure  of  an  audience  when  I  discourse  of  strawberries 
and  their  kindred  fruits.  If  apples  led  to  the  loss  of  Para- 


1 8  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS 

disc,  the  reader  will  find  described  hereafter  a  list  of  fruits 
that  will  enable  him  to  reconstruct  a  bit  of  Eden,  even  if  the 
"  Fall  and  all  our  woe  "  have  left  him  possessed  of  merely  a 
city  yard.  But  land  in  the  country,  breezy  hillsides,  moist, 
sheltered  valleys,  sunny  plains,  —  what  opportunities  for  the 
divinest  form  of  alchemy  are  here  afforded  to  hundreds  of 
thousands  ! 

Many  think  of  the  soil  only  in  connection  with  the  sad 
words  of  the  burial  service,  —  "  Earth  to  earth,  ashes  to 
ashes."  Let  us,  while  we  may,  gain  more  cheerful  associa- 
tions with  our  kindred  dust.  For  a  time  it  can  be  earth  to 
strawberry  blossoms,  ashes  to  bright  red  berries,  and  their 
color  will  get  into  our  cheeks  and  their  rich  subacid  juices 
into  our  insipid  lives,  constituting  a  mental,  moral,  and  phys- 
ical alterative  that  will  so  change  us  that  we  shall  believe  in 
evolution  and  imagine  ourselves  fit  for  a  higher  state  of  exist- 
ence. One  may  delve  in  the  earth  so  long  as  to  lose  all 
dread  at  the  thought  of  sleeping  in  it  at  last ;  and  the  lus- 
cious fruits  and  bright- hued  flowers  that  come  out  of  it,  in 
a  way  no  one  can  find  out,  may  teach  our  own  resurrection 
more  effectually  than  do  the  learned  theologians. 

We  naturally  feel  that  some  good  saints  in  the  flesh,  even 
though  they  are  "pillars  of  the  church,"  need  more  than 
a  "  sea-change  "  before  they  can  become  proper  citizens  of 
"Jerusalem  the  Golden ;  "  but  having  compared  a  raspberry 
bush,  bending  gracefully  under  its  delicious  burden,  with 
the  insignificant  seed  from  which  it  grew,  we  are  ready  to 
believe  in  all  possibilities  of  good.  Thus  we  may  gather 
more  than  berries  from  our  fruit-gardens.  Nature  hangs 
thoughts  and  suggestions  on  every  spray,  and  blackberry 
bushes  give  many  an  impressive  scratch  to  teach  us  that 
good  and  evil  are  very  near  together  in  this  world,  and  that 
we  must  be  careful,  while  seeking:  the  one,  to  avoid  the  other. 


PRELIMINARY  PARLEY.  19 

In  every  field  of  life  those  who  seek  the  fruit  too  rashly  are 
almost  sure  to  have  a  thorny  experience,  and  to  learn  that 
prickings  are  provided  for  those  who  have  no  consciences. 

He  who  sees  in  the  world  around  him  only  what  strikes 
the  eye  lives  in  a  poor,  half- furnished  house ;  he  who  ob- 
tains from  his  garden  only  what  he  can  eat  gathers  but  a 
meagre  crop.  If  I  find  something  besides  berries  on  my 
vines,  I  shall  pick  it  if  so  inclined.  The  scientific  treatise, 
or  precise  manual,  may  break  up  the  well-rooted  friendship 
of  plants,  and  compel  them  to  take  leave  of  each  other, 
after  the  arbitrary  fashion  of  methodical  minds,  but  I  must 
talk  about  them  very  much  as  nature  has  taught  me,  since, 
in  respect  to  out-of-door  life,  my  education  was  acquired 
almost  wholly  in  the  old-fashioned  way  at  the  venerable 
"  dame's  school."  Nay  more,  I  claim  that  I  have  warrant 
to  gather  from  my  horticultural  texts  more  than  can  be  sent  to 
the  dining-table  or  commission  merchant.  Such  a  matter- 
of-fact  plant  as  the  currant  makes  some  attempt  to  em- 
broider its  humble  life  with  ornament,  and  in  April  the  bees 
will  prove  to  you  that  honey  may  be  gathered  even  from  a 
gooseberry  bush.  Indeed,  gooseberries  are  like  some  la- 
dies that  we  all  know.  In  their  young  and  blossoming  days 
they  are  sweet  and  pink-hued,  and  then  they  grow  acid, 
pale,  and  hard ;  but  in  the  ripening  experience  of  later  life 
they  become  sweet  again  and  tender.  Before  they  drop  from 
their  places  the  bees  come  back  for  honey,  and  find  it. 

In  brief,  I  propose  to  take  the  reader  on  quite  an  ex- 
tended ramble  among  the  small  fruits.  It  is  much  the 
same  as  if  I  said,  "  Let  us  go  a-strawberrying  together," 
and  we  talked  as  we  went  over  hill  and  through  dale 
in  a  style  somewhat  in  harmony  with  our  wanderings. 
Very  many,  no  doubt,  will  glance  at  these  introductory 
words,  and  decline  to  go  with  me,  correctly  feeling  that 


20  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

they  can  find  better  company.  Other  busy,  practical  souls 
will  prefer  a  more  compact,  straightforward  treatise,  that  is 
like  a  lesson  in  a  class-room,  rather  than  a  stroll  in  the  fields, 
or  a  tour  among  the  fruit  farms,  and  while  sorry  to  lose  their 
company,  I  have  no  occasion  to  find  fault. 

I  assure  those,  however,  who,  after  this  preliminary  par- 
ley, decide  to  go  further,  that  I  will  do  my  best  to  make 
our  excursion  pleasant,  and  to  cause  as  little  weariness  as  is 
possible,  if  we  are  to  return  with  full  baskets.  I  shall  not 
follow  the  example  of  some  thrifty  people  who  invite  one  to 
go  "  a-berrying,"  but  lead  away  from  fruitful  nooks,  propos- 
ing to  visit  them  alone  by  stealth.  All  the  secrets  I  know 
shall  become  open  ones.  I  shall  conduct  the  reader  to  all 
the  "good  places,"  and  name  the  good  things  I  have  dis- 
covered in  half  a  lifetime  of  research.  I  would,  therefore, 
modestly  hint  to  the  practical  reader  —  to  whom  "  time  is 
money,"  who  has  an  eye  to  the  fruit  only,  and  with  whom 
the  question  of  outlay  and  return  is  ever  uppermost  —  that 
he  may,  after  all,  and  it  to  his  advantage  to  go  with  us. 
While  we  stop  to  gather  :.  flower,  listen  to  a  brook  or  bird, 
or  go  out  of  our  way  occasionally  to  get  a  view,  he  can 
jog  on,  meeting  us  at  every  point  where  we  "  mean  busi- 
ness." These  points  shall  occur  so  often  that  he  will  not 
lose  as  much  time  as  he  imagines,  and  I  think  he  will  find 
my  business  talks  business-like,  —  quite  as  practical  as  he 
desires. 

To  come  down  to  the  plainest  of  plain  prose,  I  am  not  a 
theorist  on  these  subjects,  nor  do  I  dabble  in  small  fruits  as 
a  rich  and  fanciful  amateur,  to  whom  it  is  a  matter  of  indif- 
ference whether  his  strawberries  cost  five  cents  or  a  dollar 
a  quart.  As  a  farmer,  milk  must  be  less  expensive  than 
champagne.  I  could  not  afford  a  fruit  farm  at  all  if  it  did 
not  more  than  pay  its  way,  and  in  order  to  win  the  confi- 


PRELIMINARY  PARLEY.  21 

dence  of  the  "  solid  men,"  who  want  no  "  gush "  or  side 
sentiment,  even  though  nature  suggests  some  warrant  for  it, 
I  will  give  a  bit  of  personal  experience.  Five  years  since, 
I  bought  a  farm  of  twenty-three  acres  that  for  several  years 
had  been  rented,  depleted,  and  suffered  to  run  wild.  Thick- 
ets of  brush-wood  extended  from  the  fences  well  into  the 
fields,  and  in  a  notable  instance  across  the  entire  place. 
One  portion  was  so  stony  that  it  could  not  be  plowed  ;  an- 
other so  wet  and  sour  that  even  grass  would  not  grow  upon 
it ;  a  third  portion  was  not  only  swampy,  but  liable  to  be 
overwhelmed  with  stones  and  gravel  twice  a  year  by  the 
sudden  rising  of  a  mountain  stream.  There  was  no  fruit  on 
the  place  except  apples  and  a  very  few  pears  and  grapes. 
Nearly  all  of  the  land,  as  I  found  it,  was  too  impoverished 
to  produce  a  decent  crop  of  strawberries.  The  location 
of  the  place,  moreover,  made  it  very  expensive,  —  'f  cost 
1 1 9,000 ;  and  yet  during  the  ihird  year  of  occupancy  the 
income  from  this  place  approached  very  nearly  to  the  out- 
lay, and  in  1878,  during  which  my  most  expensive  improve- 
ments were  made,  in  the  way  of  draining,  taking  out  stones, 
etc.,  the  income  paid  for  these  improvements,  for  current 
expenses,  and  gave  a  surplus  of  over  $1,800.  In  1879,  the 
net  income  was  considerably  larger.  In  order  that  these 
statements  may  not  mislead  any  one,  I  will  add  that  in  my 
judgment  only  the  combined  business  of  plants  and  fruit 
would  warrant  such  expenses  as  I  have  incurred.  My  farm 
is  almost  in  the  midst  of  a  village,  and  the  buildings  upon  it 
greatly  increased  its  cost.  Those  who  propose  to  raise  and 
sell  fruit  only  should  not  burden  themselves  with  high- 
priced  land.  Farms,  even  on  the  Hudson,  can  be  bought 
at  quite  moderate  prices  at  a  mile  or  more  away  from 
centres,  and  yet  within  easy  reach  of  landings  and  railroad 
depots. 


22  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Mr.  Charles  Downing,  whose  opinions  on  all  horticultural 
questions  are  so  justly  valued,  remarked  to  me  that  no  other 
fruit  was  so  affected  by  varying  soils  and  climates  as  the 
strawberry.  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  soil,  local- 
ity, and  climate  make  such  vast  differences  that  unless  these 
variations  are  carefully  studied  and  indicated,  books  will 
mislead  more  people  than  they  help.  A  man  may  write  a 
treatise  admirably  adapted  to  his  own  farm ;  but  if  one  liv- 
ing a  thousand,  a  hundred,  or  even  one  mile  away,  followed 
the  same  method,  he  might  almost  utterly  fail.  While 
certain  general  and  foundation  principles  apply  to  the  culti- 
vation of  each  genus  of  fruit,  important  modifications  and,  in 
some  instances,  almost  radical  changes  of  method  must  be 
made  in  view  of  the  varied  conditions  in  which  it  is  grown. 

It  is  even  more  important  to  know  what  varieties  are  best 
adapted  to  different  localities  and  soils.  While  no  expe- 
rienced and  candid  authority  will  speak  confidently  and 
precisely  on  this  point,  much  very  useful  information  and 
suggestion  may  be  given  by  one  who,  instead  of  theorizing, 
observes,  questions,  and  records  facts  as  they  are.  The  most 
profitable  strawberry  of  the  far  South  will  produce  scarcely 
any  fruit  in  the  North,  although  the  plant  grows  well ;  and 
some  of  our  best  raspberries  cannot  even  exist  in  a  hot  cli- 
mate or  upon  very  light  soils.  In  the  preparation  of  this 
book  it  has  been  my  aim  to  study  these  conditions,  that  I 
might  give  advice  useful  in  Florida  and  Canada,  New  York 
and  California,  as  well  as  at  Cornwall.  I  have  maintained 
an  extensive  correspondence  with  practical  fruit  growers  in 
all  sections,  and  have  read  with  care  contributions  to  the 
horticultural  press  from  widely  separated  localities.  Not 
content  with  this,  I  have  visited  in  person  the  great  fruit- 
growing centres  of  New  Jersey,  Norfolk  and  Richmond, 
Va. ;  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  Augusta  and  Savannah,  Ga. ;  and 


PRELIMINARY  PARLEY.  2$ 

several  points  in  Florida.  Thus,  from  actual  observation 
and  full,  free  conversation,  I  have  familiarized  myself  with 
>oth  the  Northern  and  Southern  aspects  of  this  industry, 
while  my  correspondence  from  the  far  West,  Southwest,  and 
California  will,  I  hope,  enable  me  to  aid  the  novice  in  those 
regions  also. 

I  know  in  advance  that  my  book  will  contain  many  and 
varied  faults,  but  I  intend  that  it  shall  be  an  expression  of 
honest  opinion.  I  do  not  like  "  foxy  grapes "  nor  foxy 
words  about  them. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   FRUTT  GARDEN. 

Raison  d'etre. 

OMALL  fruits,  to  people  who  live  in  the  country,  are  like 
^  heaven,  —  objects  of  universal  desire  and  very  general 
neglect.  Indeed,  in  a  land  so  peculiarly  adapted  to  their 
cultivation,  it  is  difficult  to  account  for  this  neglect  if  you 
admit  the  premise  that  Americans  are  civilized  and  intellec- 
tual. It  is  the  trait  of  a  savage  and  inferior  race  to  devour 
with  immense  gusto  a  delicious  morsel,  and  then  trust  to 
luck  for  another.  People  who  would  turn  away  from  a  dish 
of  "  Monarch  "  strawberries,  with  their  plump  pink  cheeks 
powdered  with  sugar,  or  from  a  plate  of  melting  raspberries 
and  cream,  would  be  regarded  as  so  eccentric  as  to  suggest 
an  asylum ;  but  the  number  of  professedly  intelligent  and 
moral  folk  who  ignore  the  simple  means  of  enjoying  the 
ambrosial  viands  daily,  for  weeks  together,  is  so  large  as  to 
shake  one's  confidence  in  human  nature.  A  well-maintained 
fruit  garden  is  a  comparatively  rare  adjunct  of  even  stylish 
and  pretentious  homes.  In  June,  of  all  months,  in  sultry 
July  and  August,  there  arises  from  innumerable  country 
breakfast  tables  the  pungent  odor  of  a  meat  into  which  the 
devils  went,  but  out  of  which  there  is  no  proof  they  ever 
came.  From  the  garden  under  the  windows  might  have 
been  gathered  fruits  whose  aroma  would  have  tempted  spir- 
its of  the  air.  The  cabbage-patch  may  be  seen  afar,  but 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN.  2$ 

too  often  the  strawberry-bed,  even  if  it  exists,  is  hidden  by 
weeds,  and  the  later  small  fruits  struggle  for  bare  life  in 
some  neglected  corner.  Indeed,  an  excursion  into  certain 
parts  of  New  England  might  suggest  that  many  of  its  thrifty 
citizens  would  not  have  been  content  in  Eden  until  they 
had  put  its  best  land  into  onions  and  tobacco.  Through 
the  superb  scenery  of  Vermont  there  flows  a  river  whose 
name,  one  might  think,  would  secure  an  unfailing  tide  from 
the  eyes  of  the  inhabitants.  The  Alpine  strawberry  grows 
wild  in  all  that  region,  but  the  Puritan  smacked  his  lips  over 
another  gift  of  nature  and  named  the  romantic  stream  in  its 
honor.  To  account  for  certain  tastes  or  tendencies,  man- 
kind must  certainly  have  fallen  a  little  way,  or,  if  Mr.  Dar- 
win's view  is  correct,  and  we  are  on  a  slight  up-grade,  a 
dreadful  hitch  and  tendency  to  backslide  has  been  appar- 
ent at  a  certain  point  ever  since  the  Hebrews  sighed  for  the 
"  leeks  and  onions  of  Egypt." 

Of  course,  there  is  little  hope  for  the  rural  soul  that 
"  loathes  "  the  light  manna  of  small  fruits.  We  must  leave 
-it  to  evolution  for  another  cycle  or  two.  But,  as  already 
indicated,  we  believe  that  humanity  in  the  main  has  reached 
a  point  where  its  internal  organs  highly  approve  of  the  deli- 
cious group  of  fruits  that  strayed  out  of  Paradise,  and  have 
not  yet  lost  themselves  among  the  "  thorns  and  thistles."  In- 
deed, modern  skill  —  the  alchemy  of  our  age  —  has  wrought 
such  wonders  that  Eden  is  possible  again  to  all  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  form  Eden-like  tastes  and  capacities. 

The  number  who  are  doing  this  is  increasing  every  year. 
The  large  demand  for  literature  relating  to  out-of-door  life, 
horticultural  journals,  like  the  fruits  of  which  they  treat, 
flourishing  in  regions  new  and  remote,  are  proof  of  this. 
The  business  of  supplying  fruit-trees,  plants,  and  even  flow- 
ers, is  becoming  a  vast  industry.  I  have  been  informed  that 


26  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

one  enterprising  firm  annually  spends  thousands  in  advertis- 
ing roses  only. 

But  while  we  welcome  the  evidences  that  so  many  are 
ceasing  to  be  bucolic  heathen,  much  observation  has  shown 
that  the  need  of  further  enlightenment  is  large  indeed.  It 
is  depressing  to  think  of  the  number  of  homes  about  which 
fruits  are  conspicuous  only  by  their  absence,  —  homes  of 
every  class,  from  the  laborer's  cottage  and  pioneer's  cabin 
to  the  suburban  palace.  Living  without  books  and  pictures 
is  only  a  little  worse  than  living  in  the  country  without  fruits 
and  flowers.  We  must  respect  to  some  extent  the  old  as- 
cetics, who,  in  obedience  to  mistaken  ideas  of  duty,  deprived 
themselves  of  the  good  things  God  provided,  even  while  we 
recognize  the  stupidity  of  such  a  course.  Little  children  are 
rarely  so  lacking  in  sense  as  to  try  to  please  their  father  by 
contemptuously  turning  away  from  his  best  gifts,  or  by  treat- 
ing them  with  indifference.  Why  do  millions  live  in  the 
country,  year  after  year,  raising  weeds  and  brambles,  or  a 
few  coarse  vegetables,  when  the  choicest  fruits  would  grow 
almost  as  readily?  They  can  plead  no  perverted  sense  of 
duty. 

It  is  a  question  hard  to  answer.  Some,  perhaps,  have  the 
delusion  that  fine  small  fruits  are  as  difficult  to  raise  as  or- 
chids. They  class  them  with  hot-house  grapes.  Others 
think  they  need  so  little  attention  that  they  can  stick  a  few 
plants  in  hard,  poor  ground  and  leave  them  to  their  fate. 
One  might  as  well  try  to  raise  canary-birds  and  kittens  to- 
gether as  strawberries  and  weeds.  There  is  a  large  class 
who  believe  in  small  fruits,  and  know  their  value.  They 
enjoy  them  amazingly  at  a  friend's  table,  and  even  buy  some 
when  they  are  cheap.  A  little  greater  outlay  and  a  little  in- 
telligent effort  would  give  them  an  abundant  supply  from 
their  own  grounds.  In  a  vague  way  they  are  aware  of  this, 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN.  27 

and  reproach  themselves  for  their  negligence,  but  time  passes 
and  there  is  no  change  for  the  better.  Why?  I  don't  know. 
There  are  men  who  rarely  kiss  their  wives  and  children.  For 
them  the  birds  sing  unheeded  and  even  unheard ;  flowers  be- 
come mere  objects,  and  sunsets  suggest  only  "quitting  time." 
In  theory  they  believe  in  all  these  things.  What  can  be  said 
of  them  save  that  they  simply  jog  on  to-day  as  they  did  yes- 
terday, ever  dimly  hoping  at  some  time  or  other  "  to  live  up 
to  their  privileges."  But  they  usually  go  on  from  bad  to 
worse,  until,  like  their  neglected  strawberry-beds,  they  are 
"turned  under." 

In  cities  not  a  hundred  miles  from  my  farm  there  are 
abodes  of  wealth  with  spacious  grounds,-  where,  in  many  in- 
stances, scarcely  any  place  is  found  for  small  fruits.  "  It  is 
cheaper  and  easier  to  buy  them,"  it  is  said.  This  is  a  sorry 
proof  of  civilization.  There  is  no  economy  in  the  barbaric 
splendor  of  brass  buttons  and  livery,  but  merely  a  little  trouble 
(I  doubt  about  money)  is  saved  on  the  choicest  luxuries  of 
the  year.  The  idea  of  going  out  of  their  rural  paradises  to 
buy  half-stale  fruit !  But  this  class  is  largely  at  the  mercy 
of  the  "hired  man,"  or  his  more  disagreeable  development, 
the  pretentious  smatterer,  who,  so  far  from  possessing  the 
knowledge  that  the  English,  Scotch,  or  German  gardeners 
acquire  in  their  long,  thorough  training,  is  a  compound  of 
ignorance  and  prejudice.  To  hide  his  barrenness  of  mind 
he  gives  his  soul  to  rare  plants,  clipped  lawns,  but  stints 
the  family  in  all  things  save  his  impudence.  If  he  tells 
his  obsequious  employers  that  it  is  easier  and  cheaper  to 
buy  their  fruit  than  to  raise  it,  of  course  there  is  naught 
to  do  but  go  to  the  market  and  pick  up  what  they  can ; 
and  yet  Dr.  Thurber  eays,  with  a  vast  deal  of  force,  that 
"  the  unfortunate  people  who  buy  their  fruit  do  not  know 
what  a  strawberry  is." 


28  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

In  all  truth  and  soberness,  it  is  a  marvel  and  a  shame  that 
so  many  sane  people  who  profess  to  have  passed  beyond  the 
habits  of  the  wilderness  will  not  give  the  attention  required 
by  these  unexacting  fruits.  The  man  who  has  learned  to 
write  his  name  can  learn  to  raise  them  successfully.  The 
ladies  who  know  how  to  keep  their  homes  neat  through  the 
labors  of  their  "  intelligent  help,"  could  also  learn  to  man- 
age a  fruit  garden  even  though  employing  the  stupidest  oaf 
that  ever  blundered  through  life.  The  method  is  this: 
First  learn  how  yourself,  and  then  let  your  laborer  thor- 
oughly understand  that  he  gets  no  wages  unless  he  does  as 
he  is  told.  In  the  complicated  details  of  a  plant  farm  there 
is  much  that  needs  constant  supervision,  but  the  work  of  an 
ordinary  fruit  garden  is,  in  the  main,  straightforward  and 
simple.  The  expenditure  of  a  little  time,  money,  and, 
above  all  things,  of  seasonable  labor,  is  so  abundantly  re- 
paid that  one  would  think  that  bare  self-interest  would  solve 
invariably  the  simple  problem  of  supply. 

As  mere  articles  of  food,  these  fruits  are  exceedingly  val- 
uable. They  are  capable  of  sustaining  severe  and  continued 
labor.  For  months  together  we  might  become  almost  in- 
dependent of  butcher  and  doctor  if  we  made  our  places 
produce  all  that  nature  permits.  Purple  grapes  will  hide 
unsightly  buildings ;  currants,  raspberries,  and  blackberries 
will  grow  along  the  fences  and  in  the  corners  that  are  left 
to  burdocks  and  brambles.  I  have  known  invalids  to  im- 
prove from  the  first  day  that  berries  were  brought  to  the 
table,  and  thousands  would  exchange  their  sallow  complex- 
ions, sick  headaches,  and  general  ennui  for  a  breezy  interest 
in  life  and  its  abounding  pleasures,  if  they  would  only  take 
nature's  palpable  hint,  and  enjoy  the  seasonable  food  she 
provides.  Belles  can  find  better  cosmetics  in  the  fruit  gar- 
den than  on  their  toilet  tables,  and  she  who  paints  her 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN.  29 

cheeks  with  the  pure,  healthful  blood  that  is  made  from  na- 
ture's choicest  gifts,  and  the  exercise  of  gathering  them,  can 
give  her  lover  a  kiss  that  will  make  him  wish  for  another. 

The  famous  Dr.  Hosack,  of  New  York  city,  who  attended 
Alexander  Hamilton  after  he  received  his  fatal  wound  from 
Burr,  was  an  enthusiast  on  the  subject  of  fruits.  It  was  his 
custom  to  terminate  his  spring  course  of  lectures  with  a 
strawberry  festival.  "  I  must  let  the  class  see,"  he  said, 
"  that  we  are  practical  as  well  as  theoretical.  Linnaeus  cured 
his  gout  and  protracted  his  life  by  eating  strawberries." 

"They  are  a  dear  article,"  a  friend  remarked,  "  to  gratify 
the  appetites  of  so  many." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  doctor,  "but  from  our  pres- 
ent mode  of  culture  they  will  become  cheap." 

It  is  hard  to  realize  how  scarce  this  fruit  was  sixty  or  sev- 
enty years  ago,  but  the  prediction  of  the  sagacious  physi- 
cian has  been  verified  even  beyond  his  imagination.  Straw- 
berries are  raised  almost  as  abundantly  as  potatoes,  and  for 
a  month  or  more  can  be  eaten  as  a  cheap  and  wholesome 
food  by  all  classes,  even  the  poorest.  By  a  proper  selec- 
tion of  varieties  we,  in  our  home,  feast  upon  them  six  weeks 
together,  and  so  might  the  majority  of  those  whose  happy 
lot  is  cast  in  the  country.  The  small  area  of  a  city  yard 
planted  with  a  few  choice  kinds  will  often  yield  surprising 
returns  under  sensible  culture. 

If  we  cultivate  these  beautiful  and  delicious  fruits  we  al- 
ways have  the  power  of  giving  pleasure  to  others,  and  he  's 
a  churl  and  she  a  pale  reflection  of  Xantippe  who  does  not 
covet  this  power.  The  faces  of  our  guests  brighten  as  they 
snuff  from  afar  the  delicate  aroma.  Our  vines  can  furnish 
gifts  that  our  friends  will  ever  welcome ;  and  by  means  of 
their  products  we  can  pay  a  homage  to  genius  that  will  be 
far  more  grateful  than  commonplace  compliments.  I  have 
B— ROE— XVII 


3O  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

seen  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  Wm.  C.  Bryant,  which  is  a  rich 
return  for  the  few  strawberries  that  were  sent  to  him,  and 
the  thought  that  they  gave  him  pleasure  gives  the  donor  far 
more.  They  are  a  gift  that  one  can  bestow  and  another 
take  without  involving  any  compromise  on  either  side,  since 
they  belong  to  the  same  category  as  smiles,  kind  words,  and 
the  universal  freemasonry  of  friendship.  Faces  grow  radi- 
ant over  a  basket  of  fruit  or  flowers  that  would  darken  with 
anger  at  other  gifts. 

If,  in  the  circle  of  our  acquaintance,  there  are  those  shut 
rp  to  the  weariness  and  heavy  atmosphere  of  a  sick-room, 
in  no  way  can  we  send  a  ray  of  sunlight  athwart  their  pallid 
faces  more  effectually  than  by  placing  a  basket  of  fragrant 
fruit  on  the  table  beside  them.  Even  though  the  physician 
may  render  it  "  forbidden  fruit,"  their  eyes  will  feast  upon 
it,  and  the  aroma  will  teach  them  that  the  world  is  not  pass- 
ing on,  unheeding  and  uncaring  whether  they  live  or  die. 

The  Fruit  and  Flower  Mission  of  New  York  is  engaged 
in  a  beautiful  and  most  useful  charity.  Into  tenement- 
houses  and  the  hot  close  wards  of  city  hospitals,  true  sisters 
of  mercy  of  the  one  Catholic  church  of  love  and  kindness 
carry  the  fragrant  emblems  of  an  Eden  that  was  lost,  but 
may  be  regained  even  by  those  who  have  wandered  farthest 
from  its  beauty  and  purity.  Men  and  women,  with  faces 
seemingly  hardened  and  grown  rigid  under  the  impress  of 
vice,  that  but  too  correctly  reveal  the  coarse  and  brutal  na- 
ture within,  often  become  wistful  and  tender  over  some  sim- 
ple flower  or  luscious  fruit  that  recalls  earlier  and  happier 
days.  These  are  gifts  which  offend  no  prejudices,  and  inevi- 
tably suggest  that  which  is  good,  sweet,  wholesome  and  pure. 
For  a  moment,  at  least,  and  perhaps  forever,  they  may  lead 
stained  and  debased  creatures  to  turn  their  faces  heaven- 
ward. There  are  little  suffering  children  also  in  the  hospi- 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN.  31 

tals ;  there  are  exiles  from  country  homes  and  country  life 
in  the  city  who  have  been  swept  down  not  by  evil  but  the 
dark  tides  of  disaster,  poverty,  and  disease,  and  to  such  it  is 
a  privilege  as  well  as  a  pleasure  to  send  gifts  that  will  tend 
to  revive  hope  and  courage.  That  we  may  often  avail  our- 
selves of  these  gracious  opportunities  of  giving  the  equiva- 
lent of  a  "  cup  of  cold  water,"  we  should  plant  fruits  and 
flowers  in  abundance. 

One  of  the  sad  features  of  our  time  is  the  tendency  of 
young  people  to  leave  their  country  homes.  And  too  often 
one  does  not  need  to  look  far  for  the  reason.  Life  at  the 
farm-house  sulks  into  deep  ruts,  and  becomes  weary  plod- 
ding. There  are  too  many  "  one-ideaed "  farmers  and 
farms.  It  is  corn,  potatoes,  wheat,  butter,  or  milk.  The 
staple  production  absorbs  all  thought  and  everything  else  \s 
neglected.  Nature  demands  that  young  people  should  have 
variety,  and  furnishes  it  in  abundance.  The  stolid  farmer 
too  often  ignores  nature  and  the  cravings  of  youth,  and 
insists  on  the  heavy  monotonous  work  of  his  specialty,  early 
and  late,  the  year  around,  and  then  wonders  why  in  his  de- 
clining years  there  are  no  strong  young  hands  to  lighten  his 
toil.  The  boy  who  might  have  lived  a  sturdy,  healthful, 
independent  life  among  his  native  hills  is  a  bleached  and 
sallow  youth  measuring  ribbons  and  calicoes  behind  a  city 
counter.  The  girl  who  might  have  been  the  mistress  of  a 
tree-shadowed  country  house  disappears  under  much  darker 
shadows  in  town.  But  for  their  early  home  life,  so  meagre 
and  devoid  of  interest,  they  might  have  breathed  pure  air 
all  their  days. 

Not  the  least  among  the  means  of  making  a  home  attrac- 
tive would  be  a  well- maintained  fruit  garden.  The  heart 
and  the  stomach  have  been  found  nearer  together  by  the 
metaphysicians  than  the  physiologists,  and  if  the  "  house- 


32  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

mother,"  as  the  Germans  say,  beamed  often  at  her  children 
over  a  great  dish  of  berries  flanked  by  a  pitcher  of  un- 
skimmed milk,  not  only  good  blood  and  good  feeling  would 
be  developed,  but  something  that  the  poets  call  "early 
ties." 

There  is  one  form  of  gambling  or  speculation  that,  within 
proper  limits,  is  entirely  innocent  and  healthful,  —  the  rais- 
ing  of  new  seedling  fruits  and  the  testing  of  new  varieties. 
In  these  pursuits  the  elements  of  chance,  skill,  and  judgment 
enter  so  evenly  that  they  are  an  unfailing  source  of  pleasur- 
able excitement.  The  catalogues  of  plant,  tree,  and  seed 
dealers  abound  in  novelties.  The  majority  of  them  cannot 
endure  the  test  of  being  grown  by  the  side  of  otfr  well-known 
standard  kinds,  but  now  and  then  an  exceedingly  valuable 
variety,  remarkable  for  certain  qualities  or  peculiarly  adapted 
to  special  localities  and  uses,  is  developed.  There  is  not 
only  an  unfailing  pleasure  in  making  these  discoveries,  but 
often  a  large  profit.  If,  three  or  four  years  ago,  a  country 
boy  had  bought  a  dozen  Sharpless  strawberry-plants,  and 
propagated  from  them,  he  might  now  obtain  several  hun- 
dred dollars  from  their  increased  numbers.  Time  only  can 
show  whether  this  novelty  will  become  a  standard  variety, 
but  at  present  the  plants  are  in  great  demand. 

The  young  people  of  a  country  home  may  become  deeply 
interested  in  originating  new  seedlings.  A  thousand  straw- 
berry seeds  will  produce  a  thousand  new  kinds,  and,  al- 
though the  prospects  are  that  none  of  them  will  equal  those 
now  in  favor,  something  very  fine  and  superior  may  be  ob- 
tained. Be  this  as  it  may,  if  these  simple  natural  interests 
prevent  boys  and  girls  from  being  drawn  into  the  maelstrom 
of  city  life  until  character  is  formed,  each  plant  will  have  a 
value  beyond  silver  or  gold. 

One  of  the  supreme  rewards  of  human  endeavor  is  a  true 


THE  FRUIT  GARDEN.  33 

home,  and  surely  it  is  as  stupid  as  it  is  wrong  to  neglect 
some  of  the  simplest  and  yet  most  effectual  means  of  secur- 
ing this  crown  of  earthly  life.  A  home  is  the  product  of 
many  and  varied  causes,  but  I  have  yet  to  see  the-  man  who 
will  deny  that  delicious  small  fruits  for  eight  months  of  the 
year,  and  the  richer  pleasure  even  of  cultivating  and  gather- 
ing them,  may  become  one  of  the  chief  contributions  to  this 
result.  I  use  the  words  "  eight  months  '•"  advisedly,  for  even 
now,  January  29,  we  are  enjoying  grapes  that  were  buried 
in  the  ground  last  October.  I  suppose  my  children  are 
very  material  and  unlike  the  good  little  people  who  do  not 
live  long,  but  they  place  a  white  mark  against  the  days  on 
which  we  unearth  a  jar  of  grapes. 


CHAPTER   III. 

SMALL   FRUIT   FARMING  AND   ITS   PROFITS. 

A  FARM  without  a  fruit  garden  may  justly  be  regarded 
**•  as  proof  of  a  low  state  of  civilization  in  the  farmer. 
No  country  home  should  be  without  such  simple  means  of 
health  and  happiness.  For  obvious  reasons,  however,  there 
is  not,  and  never  can  be,  the  same  room  for  fruit  raising 
as  there  is  for  grain,  grass,  and  stock  farming.  Neverthe- 
less, the  opportunities  to  engage  with  profit  in  this  industry 
on  a  large  scale  are  increasing  every  year.  From  being  a 
luxury  of  a  few,  the  small  fruits  have  become  an  article  of 
daily  food  to  the  million.  Even  the  country  village  must 
have  its  supply,  and  the  number  of  crates  that  are  shipped 
from  New  York  city  to  neighboring  towns  is  astonishingly 
large.  As  an  illustration  of  the  rapidly  enlarging  demand 
for  these  fruits,  let  us  consider  the  experience  of  one  West- 
ern city,  Cincinnati.  Mr.  W.  H.  Corbly,  who  is  there  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  best  informed  on  these  subjects,  has 
gathered  the  following  statistics:  "In  1835  it  was  regarded 
as  a  most  wonderful  thing  that  100  bushels  of  strawberries 
could  be  disposed  of  on  the  Cincinnati  market  in  one  day, 
and  was  commented  on  as  a  great  event.  A  close  estimate 
shows  that  during  the  summer  of  1879  eighty  to  eighty-five 
thousand  bushels  of  strawberries  were  sold  in  Cincinnati. 
Of  course,  a  large  part  of  these  berries  were  shipped  away, 
but  it  is  estimated  that  nearly  one-half  were  consumed  here. 
About  the  year  1838  the  cultivation  of  black  raspberries 


FRUIT  FARMING.  35 

was  commenced  in  this  county  by  James  Gallagher  and 
-F.  A.  McCormick  of  Salem,  Anderson  township.  The  first 
year,  Gallagher's  largest  shipment  in  one  day  was  six  bush- 
els, and  McCormick's  four.  When  they  were  placed  on  the 
market,  McCormick  sold  out  at  6^  cents  per  quart,  and 
Gallagher  held  off  till  McCormick  had  sold  out,  when  he 
put  his  on  sale  and  obtained  8^3  cents  per  quart,  and  the 
demand  was  fully  supplied.  It  is  estimated  that  the  crop 
for  the  year  of  1879,  handled  in  Cincinnati,  amounted  to 
from  seventy-five  thousand  to  eighty  thousand  bushels,  —  the 
crop  being  a  fairly  good  one,  —  selling  at  an  average  of 
about  two  dollars  per  bushel."  It  has  been  stated  in  "The 
Country  Gentleman"  that  about  $5,000,000  worth  of  small 
fruits  were  sold  in  Michigan  in  one  year;  and  the  same 
authority  estimates  that  $25,000,000  worth  are  consumed 
annually  in  New  York  city.  In  the  future  it  would  seem  that 
this  demand  would  increase  even  more  rapidly ;  for  in  every 
fruit-growing  region  immense  canning  establishments  are 
coming  into  existence,  to  which  the  markets  of  the  world  are 
open.  Therefore,  in  addition  to  the  thousands  already  em- 
barked in  this  industry,  still  larger  numbers  will  engage  in  it 
during  the  next  few  years. 

Those  who  now  for  the  first  time  are  turning  their  atten- 
tion toward  this  occupation  may  be  divided  mainly  into  two 
classes.  The  first  consists  of  established  farmers,  who,  find- 
ing markets  within  their  reach,  extend  their  patches  of  rasp- 
berries, currants,  or  strawberries  to  such  a  degree  that  they 
have  a  surplus  to  sell.  To  the  extent  that  such  sales  are 
remunerative,  they  increase  the  area  of  fruits,  until  in  many 
instances  they  become  virtually  fruit  farmers.  More  often 
a  few  acres  are  devoted  to  horticulture,  and  the  rest  of  the 
farm  is  carried  on  in  the  old  way. 

The  second  class  is  made  up  chiefly  of  those  who  are  un- 


36  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

familiar  with  the  soil  and  its  culture,  —  mechanics,  profes- 
sional men,  who  hope  to  regain  health  by  coming  back  to 
nature,  and  citizens  whose  ill-success  or  instincts  suggest 
country  life  and  labors.  From  both  these  classes,  and  es- 
pecially from  the  latter,  I  receive  very  many  letters,  con- 
taining all  kinds  of  questions.  The  chief  burden  on  most 
minds,  however,  is  summed  up  in  the  words,  "  Do  small 
fruits  pay?"  To  meet  the  needs  of  these  two  classes  is 
one  of  the  great  aims  of  this  work ;  and  it  is  my  most  ear- 
nest wish  not  to  mislead  by  high-colored  pictures. 

Small  fruits  pay  many  people  well ;  and  unless  location, 
soil,  or  climate  is  hopelessly  against  one,  the  degree  of  profit 
will  depend  chiefly  upon  his  skill,  judgment,  and  industry. 
The  raising  of  small  fruits  is  like  other  callings,  in  which 
some  are  getting  rich,  more  earning  a  fair  livelihood,  and 
not  a  few  failing.  It  is  a  business  in  which  there  is  a* 
abundance  of  sharp,  keen  competition ;  and  ignorance,  poor 
judgment,  and  shiftless,  idle  ways  will  be  as  fatal  as  in  the 
workshop,  store,  or  office. 

Innumerable  failures  result  from  inexperience.  I  will 
give  one  extreme  example,  which  may  serve  to  illustrate 
the  sanguine  mental  condition  of  many  who  read  of  large 
returns  in  fruit  culture.  A  young  man  who  had  inherited 
a  few  hundred  dollars  wrote  me  that  he  could  hire  a  piece 
of  land  for  a  certain  amount,  and  he  wished  to  invest  the 
balance  —  every  cent  —  in  plants,  thus  leaving  himself  no 
capital  with  which  to  continue  operations,  but  expecting  that 
a  speedy  crop  would  lift  him  at  once  into  a  prosperous  ca- 
reer. I  wrote  that  under  the  circumstances  I  could  not 
supply  him,  —  that  it  would  be  about  the  same  as  robbery  to 
do  so ;  and  advised  him  to  spend  several  years  with  a  prac- 
tical and  successful  fruit  grower  and  learn  the  business. 

Most  people  enter  upon  this  calling  in  the  form  of  a 


FRUIT  FARMING.  37 

wedge ;  but  only  too  many  commence  at  the  blunt  end, 
investing  largely  at  once  in  everything,  and  therefore  their 
business  soon  tapers  down  to  nothing.  The  wise  begin  at 
the  point  of  the  wedge  and  develop  their  calling  naturally, 
healthfully, —  learning,  by  experience  and  careful  observation, 
how  to  grow  fruits  profitably,  and  which  kinds  pay  the  best. 
There  ought  also  to  be  considerable  capital  to  start  with,  and 
an  absence  of  the  crushing  burden  of  interest  money.  No 
fruits  yield  any  returns  before  the  second  or  third  year; 
and  there  are  often  unfavorable  seasons  and  glutted  mar- 
kets. Nature's  prizes  are  won  by  patient,  persistent  indus- 
try, and  not  by  Wall  Street  sleight  of  hand. 

Location  is  very  important.  A  fancy  store,  however  well- 
furnished,  would  be  a  ruinous  investment  at  a  country  cross- 
road. The  fruit  farm  must  be  situated  where  there  is  quick 
and  cheap  access  to  good  markets,  and  often  the  very  best 
market  may  be  found  at  a  neighboring  village,  summer  re- 
sort, or  a  canning  establishment.  Enterprise  and  industry, 
however,  seem  to  surmount  all  obstacles.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Knox  shipped  his  famous  "  700 "  strawberry  (afterward 
known  to  be  the  Jucunda,  a  foreign  variety)  from  Pittsburg 
to  New  York,  securing  large  returns ;  and,  take  the  country 
over,  the  most  successful  fruit  farms  seem  to  be  located 
where  live  men  live  and  work.  Still,  if  one  were  about  to 
purchase,  sound  judgment  would  suggest  a  very  careful 
choice  of  locality  with  speedy  access  to  good  markets.  Mr. 
J.  J.  Thomas,  editor  of  "  The  Country  Gentleman,"  '  a 
paper  upon  the  Outlook  of  Fruit  Culture,  read  before  the 
Western  N.  Y.  Horticultural  Society,  laid  down  three  essen- 
tials to  success  :  i .  Locality,  —  a  region  found  by  experi- 
ence to  be  adapted  to  fruit  growing.  2.  Wise  selection  of 
varieties  of  each  kind.  3.  Care  and  culture  of  these  varie- 
ties. He  certainly  is  excellent  authority. 


38  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

These  obvious  considerations,  and  the  facts  that  have  been 
instanced,  make  it  clear  that  brains  must  unite  with  labor  and 
capital.  Above  all,  however,  there  must  be  trained,  practi- 
cal skill.  Those  succeed  who  learn  how ;  and  to  add  a  little 
deftness  to  unskilled  hands  is  the  object  of  every  succeeding 
page.  At  the  same  time,  I  frankly  admit  that  nothing  can 
take  the  place  of  experience.  I  once  asked  an  eminent 
physician  if  a  careful  reading  of  the  best  medical  text-books 
and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  materia  medico,  could  take 
the  place  of  daily  study  of  actual  disease  and  fit  a  man 
for  practice,  and  he  emphatically  answered,  "  No  !  *'  It  is 
equally  true  that  an  intelligent  man  can  familiarize  himself 
with  every  horticultural  writer  from  the  classic  age  to  our 
own,  and  yet  be  outstripped  in  success  by  an  ignorant  Irish 
laborer  who  has  learned  the  little  he  knows  in  the  school  of 
experience.  The  probabilities  are,  however,  that  the  laborer 
will  remain  such  all  his  days,  while  the  thoughtful,  reading 
man,  who  is  too  sensible  to  be  carried  away  by  theories,  and 
who  supplements  his  science  with  experience,  may  enrich 
not  only  himself  but  the  world. 

Still,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  chances  of  success  are 
largely  in  favor  of  the  class  I  first  named,  —  the  farmers  who 
turn  their  attention  in  part  or  wholly  toward  fruit  growing. 
They  are  accustomed  to  hard  out-of-door  work  and  the  gen- 
eral principles  of  agriculture.  The  first  is  always  essential 
to  success;  and  a  good  farmer  can  soon  become  equally 
skilful  in  the  care  of  fruits  if  he  gives  his  mind  to  their  cul- 
ture. The  heavy,  stupid,  prejudiced  plodder  who  thinks  a 
thing  is  right  solely  because  his  grandfather  did  it,  is  a  bu- 
colic monster  that  is  receding  so  fast  into  remote  wilds  be- 
fore the  horticultural  press  that  he  scarcely  need  be  taken 
into  account.  Therefore,  the  citizen  or  professional  man 
inclined  to  engage  in  fruit  farming  should  remember  that 


FRUIT  FARMING  39 

he  must  compete  with  the  hardy,  intelligent  sons  of  the  soil, 
who,  in  most  instances,  are  crowning  their  practical  experi- 
ence with  careful  reading.  I  do  not  say  this  to  discourage 
any  one,  but  only  to  secure  a  thoughtful  and  adequate  con- 
sideration of  the  subject  before  the  small  accumulations  of 
years  are  embarked  in  what  may  be  a  very  doubtful  venture. 
Many  have  been  misled  to  heavy  loss  by  enthusiastic  works 
on  horticulture ;  I  wish  my  little  book  to  lead  only  to 
success. 

If  white-handed,  hollow- chested  professional  men  anxious 
to  acquire  money,  muscle,  and  health  by  fruit  raising,  —  if 
citizens  disgusted  with  pavements  and  crowds  are  willing 
to  take  counsel  of  common-sense  and  learn  the  business 
practically  and  thoroughly,  why  should  they  not  succeed? 
But  let  no  one  imagine  that  horticulture  is  the  final  resort 
of  ignorance,  indolence,  or  incapacity,  physical  or  mental. 
Impostors  palm  themselves  off  on  the  world  daily ;  a  credu- 
lous public  takes  poisonous  nostrums  by  the  ton  and  butt ; 
but  Nature  recognizes  error  every  time,  and  quietly  thwarts 
those  who  try  to  wrong  her,  either  wilfully  or  blunderingly. 

Mr.  Peter  Henderson,  who  has  been  engaged  practically 
in  vegetable  gardening  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  states, 
as  a  result  of  his  experience,  that  capital,  at  the  rate  of  $300 
per  acre,  is  required  in  starting  a  "  truck  farm,"  and  that  the 
great  majority  fail  who  make  the  attempt  with  less  means. 
In  my  opinion,  the  fruit  farmer  would  require  capital  in  like 
proportion ;  for,  while  many  of  the  small  fruits  can  be  grown 
with  less  preparation  of  soil  and  outlay  in  manure,  the  re- 
turns come  more  slowly,  since,  with  the  exception  of  straw- 
berries, none  of  them  yield  a  full  crop  until  the  third  or 
fourth  year.  I  advise  most  urgently  against  the  incurring 
of  heavy  debts.  Better  begin  with  three  acres  than  thirty, 
or  three  hundred,  from  which  a  large  sum  of  interest  money 


40  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FXUITS. 

must  be  obtained  before  a  penny  can  be  used  for  other  pui> 
poses.  Anything  can  be  raised  from  a  farm  easier  than  a 
mortgage. 

Success  depends  very  largely,  also,  on  the  character  of 
the  soil.  If  it  is  so  high  and  dry  as  to  suffer  severely  from 
drought  two  years  out  of  three,  it  cannot  be  made  to  pay  ex- 
cept by  irrigation ;  if  so  low  as  to  be  wet,  rather  than  moist, 
the  prospects  are  but  little  better.  Those  who  are  perma- 
nently settled  must  do  their  best  with  such  land  as  they 
have,  and  in  a  later  chapter  I  shall  suggest  how  differing 
soils  should  be  managed.  To  those  who  can  still  choose 
their  location,  I  would  recommend  a  deep  mellow  loam, 
with  a  rather  compact  subsoil,  • —  moist,  but  capable  of  thor- 
ough drainage.  Diversity  of  soil  and  exposure  offer  pecu- 
liar advantages  also.  Some  fruits  thrive  best  in  a  stiff  clay, 
others  in  sandy  upland.  Early  varieties  ripen  earlier  on  a 
sunny  slope,  while  a  late  kind  is  rendered  later  on  a  north- 
ern hillside,  or  in  the  partial  shade  of  a  grove.  In  treating 
each  fruit  and  variety,  I  shall  try  to  indicate  the  soils  and 
exposures  to  which  they  are  best  adapted. 

Profits.  — The  reader  will  naturally  wish  for  some  definite 
statements  of  the  profits  of  fruit  farming ;  but  I  almost  hesi- 
tate to  comply  with  this  desire.  A  gentleman  wrote  to  me 
that  he  sold  from  an  acre  of  Cuthbert  raspberries  $800  worth 
of  fruit.  In  view  of  this  fact,  not  a  few  will  sit  down  and 
begin  to  figure,  —  "If  one  acre  yielded  $800,  ten  acres 
would  produce  $8,000;  twenty  acres  $16,000,"  etc.  Mul- 
titudes have  been  led  into  trouble  by  this  kind  of  reasoning. 
The  capacity  of  an  engine  with  a  given  motor  power  can  be 
measured,  and  certain  and  unvarying  results  predicted ;  but 
who  can  measure  the  resources  of  an  acre  through  varying 
seasons  and  under  differing  culture,  or  foretell  the  price 
of  the  crops?  In  estimating  future  profits,  we  can  only 


FRUIT  FARMING,  41 

approximate  •,  and  the  following  records  are  given  merely  to 
show  what  results  have  been  secured,  and  therefore  may  be 
obtained  again,  and  even  surpassed.  "The  Country  Gen- 
tleman "  gives  a  well-authenticated  instance  of  a  fruit  grower 
who  "  received  more  than  $2,000  from  three  acres  of  straw- 
berries." In  contrast,  however,  it  could  be  shown  that  many 
fields  have  not  paid  expenses.  I  once  had  such  an  experi- 
ence. The  market  was  "glutted,"  and  the  variety  yielded 
berries  so  small  and  poor  that  they  did  not  average  five 
cents  per  quart.  Occasionally  we  hear  of  immense  ship- 
ments from  the  South  being  thrown  into  the  dock. 

Mr.  William  Parry,  a  veteran  fruit  grower  in  New  Jersey, 
states  the  truth  I  wish  to  convey  very  clearly,  and  gives  a 
fair  mean  between  these  two  extremes:  — 

"YIELD  AND  PROFIT. 

*  There  are  so  many  circumstances  connected  with  strawberry 
growing,  such  as  varieties,  soil,  climate,  location,  markets,  and 
the  skill  and  management  of  the  grower,  that  the  results  of  a 
few  cases  cannot  be  relied  on  for  general  rules. 

"We  have  grown  over  two  hundred  bushels  per  acre  here, 
and  realized  upward  of  six  hundred  dollars  per  acre  for  the  crop ; 
but  that  is  much  above  the  general  average.  Having  kept  a 
careful  record,  for  fourteen  years  past,  of  the  yield  per  acre  and 
price  per  quart  at  which  our  strawberries  have  been  sold,  we 
find  the  average  to  be  about  2,500  quarts  per  acre,  and  the  price 
eleven  cents  per  quart  in  market,  giving  the  following  results : 

Commissions,  10  per  cent .  $ 27.50 

Picking  2,500  quarts,  at  2c.  per  quart -     .    50.00 

Manure       . 17.5° 

Use  of  Baskets 10.00 

Cultivation,  etc t    ......    25.00 

Net  profits  per  acre 145.00 


Gross  proceeds,  2,500  quarts  at  lie $27500' 


42  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

In  the  year  1876  the  same  gentleman  had  tea  acres  of 
Brandywine  raspberries  that  yielded  about  eighty-two  bushels 
to  the  acre,  giving  a  clear  profit  of  $280,  or  of  $2,800  for 
the  entire  area.  This  crop,  so  far  from  being  the  average, 
was  awarded  a  premium  as  the  most  profitable  that  year  in 
the  section. 

J.  R.  Gaston  &  Sons,  of  Normal,  111.,  have  given  the  fol- 
lowing record  of  a  plantation  of  Sayder  blackberries :  "  We 
commenced  to  pick  a  field  of  seven  acres  July  i2th,  and 
finished  picking  August  2  ad.  The  total  amount  gathered 
was  43,575  quarts,  equal  to  1,361  bushels  and  22  quarts. 
The  average  price  was  eight  cents  per  quart,  making  the 
gross  proceeds  equal  to  $3,486.  We  paid  for  picking 
$435.75.  The  cost  of  trimming  and  cultivating  was  about 
$400;  cost  of  boxes,  crates,  and  marketing  was  $1,307.25, 
leaving  a  net  profit  of  $1,343." 

A  gentleman  in  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  stated  that  200  bushes 
of  the  Cherry  currant  yielded  him  hi  one  season  1,000  Ibs. 
of  fruit,  which  was  sold  at  an  average  of  eight  cents  per 
pound.  His  gross  receipts  were  $80  from  one- fourteenth 
of  an/  acre,  and  at  the  same  ratio  an  acre  would  have  yielded 
$1,120.  Is  this  an  average  yield?  So  far  from  it,  there 
are  many  acres  of  currants  and  gooseberries  that  do  not  pay 
expenses.  Thus  it  can  be  seen  that  the  scale  ranges  from 
marvellous  prizes  down  to  blanks  and  heavy  losses ;  but  the 
drawing  is  not  a  game  of  chance,  but  usually  the  result  of 
skill  and  industry,  or  their  reverse. 

T  might  have  given  many  examples  of  large,  and  even 
enormously  large,  profits  obtained  under  exceptional  cir- 
cumstances ;  but  they  tend  to  mislead.  I  write  for  those 
whose  hearts  prompt  them  to  co-work  with  nature,  and  who 
are  most  happy  when  doing  her  bidding  in  the  breezy  fields 
and  gardens,  content  with  fair  rewards,  instead  of  being 


FRUIT  FARMING.  43 

consumed  by  the  gambler's  greed  for  unearned  gold.  At 
the  same  time,  I  am  decidedly  in  favor  of  high  culture,  and 
the  most  generous  enriching  of  the  soil;  convinced  that 
fruit  growers  and  farmers  in  general  would  make  far  more 
money  if  they  spent  upon  one  acre  what  they  usually  expend 
on  three.  In  a  later  chapter  will  be  found  an  instance  of 
an  expenditure  of  $350  per  acre  on  strawberry  land,  and 
the  net  profits  obtained  were  proportionately  large. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
STRAWBERRIES:  THE  FIVE  SPECIES  AND  THEIR  HISTORY. 

*"PHE  conscientious  Diedrich  Knickerbocker,  that  vener- 
•*•  ated  historian  from  whom  all  good  citizens  of  New 
York  obtain  the  first  impressions  of  their  ancestry,  felt  that 
he  had  no  right  to  chronicle  the  vicissitudes  of  Manhattan 
Island  until  he  had  first  accounted  for  the  universe  of  which 
it  is  a  part.  Equally  with  the  important  bit  of  land  named, 
the  strawberry  belongs  to  the  existing  cosmos,  and  might 
be  traced  back  to  "  old  chaos."  I  hasten  to  re-assure  the 
dismayed  reader.  I  shall  not  presume  to  follow  one  who 
could  illumine  his  page  with  genius,  and  whose  extensive 
learning  enabled  him  to  account  for  the  universe  not  merely 
in  one  but  in  half  a  dozen  ways. 

It  is  the  tendency  of  the  present  age  to  ask  what  is,  not 
what  has  been  or  shall  be.  And  yet,  on  the  part  of  some, 
as  they  deliberately  enjoy  a  saucer  of  strawberries  and  cream, 
—  it  is  a  pleasure  that  we  prolong  for  obvious  reasons,  —  a 
languid  curiosity  may  arise  as  to  the  origin  and  history  of 
so  delicious  a  fruit.  I  suppose  Mr.  Darwin  would  say,  "it 
was  evolved."  But  some  specimens  between  our  lips  sug- 
gest that  a  Geneva  watch  could  put  itself  together  quite  as 
readily.  At  the  same  time,  it  must  be  said  that  our  "  rude 
forefathers "  did  not  eat  Monarch  or  Charles  Downing 
strawberries.  In  few  fruits,  probably,  have  there  been  such 
vast  changes  or  improvements  as  in  this.  Therefore,  I  shall 
answer  briefly  and  as  well  as  I  can,  in  view  of  the  meagre 


STRAWBERRIES— ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY.        4$ 

data  and  conflicting  opinions  of  the  authorities,  the  curiosity 
that  I  have  imagined  on  some  faces.  Those  who  care 
only  for  the  strawberry  of  to-day  can  easily  skip  a  fe'ar 
pages, 

If  there  were  as  much  doubt  about  a  crop  of  this  fruit  as 
concerning  the  origin  of  its  name,  the  outlook  would  be 
dismal,  indeed.  In  old  Saxon,  the  word  was  streawberige 
or  streowberrie ;  and  was  so  named,  says  one  authority, 
"  from  the  straw-like  stems  of  the  plant,  or  from  the  berries 
lying  strewn  upon  the  ground."  Another  authority  tells  us : 
"  It  is  an  old  English  practice  "  (let  us  hope  a  modern  one 
also)  "  to  lay  straw  between  the  rows  to  preserve  the  fruit 
from  rotting  on  the  wet  ground,  from  which  the  name  has 
been  supposed  to  be  derived ;  although  more  probably  it 
is  from  the  wandering  habit  of  the  plant,  straw  being  a  cor- 
ruption of  the  Anglo-Saxon  strtz,  from  which  we  have  the 
English  verb  stray."  Again,  tradition  asserts  that  in  the  olden 
times  children  strung  the  berries  on  straws  for  sale,  and 
hence  the  name.  Several  other  causes  have  been  suggested, 
but  I  forbear.  I  have  never  known,  however,  a  person  to 
decline  the  fruit  on  the  ground  of  this  obscurity  and  doubt. 
(Controversialists  and  sceptics  please  take  note.) 

That  the  strawberry  should  belong  to  the  rose  family,  and 
that  its  botanical  name  should  be  fragaria,  from  the  Latin 
fragro,  to  smell  sweetly,  will  seem  both  natural  and 
appropriate. 

While  for  his  knowledge  of  the  plant  I  refer  the  reader 
to  every  hillside  and  field  (would  that  I  might  say,  to  every 
garden!),  there  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  production  of  the 
fruit  which  should  not  pass  unnoted.  Strictly  speaking,  the 
small  seeds  scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  berry  are 
the  fruit,  and  it  is  to  perfect  these  seeds  that  the  plants  blos- 
som, the  stamens  scatter,  and  the  pistils  receive  the  pollen 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 


Seeds  and  Pulp  of  the  Strawberry. 


on  the  convex  receptacle,  which,  as  the  seeds  ripen,  greatly 
enlarges,  and  becomes  the  pulpy  and  delicious  mass  that 
is  popularly  regarded  ai  ^he  fruit.  So  far  from  being  the 

fruit,  it  is  only  "  the  much  al- 
tered end  of  the  stem  "  that 
sustains  the  fruit  or  seeds ;  and 
so  it  becomes  a  beautiful  illus- 
tration of  a  kindly,  genuine 
courtesy,  which  renders  an  or- 
dinary service  with  so  much 
grace  and  graciousness  that 
we  dwell  on  the  manner  with 
far  more  pleasure  than  on  the 
service  itself. 

The  innumerable  varieties  of  strawberries  that  are  now  in 
existence  appear,  either  in  their  character  or  origin,  to  be- 
long to  five  great  and  quite  distinct  species.  The  first,  and 
for  a  long  time  the  only  one  of  which  we  have  any  record, 
is  the  Fragaria  vesca,  or  the  ALPINE  strawberry.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  widely  spread  fruits  of  the  world,  for  it  grows, 
and  for  centuries  has  grown,  wild  throughout  Northern  and 
Central  Europe  and  Asia,  following  the  mountains  far  to  the 
south ;  and  on  this  continent,  from  time  immemorial,  the 
Indian  children  have  gathered  it,  from  the  Northern  Atlan- 
tic to  the  Pacific.  In  England  this  species  exhibits  some 
variation  from  the  Alpine  type,  and  was  called  by  our  ances- 
tors the  Wood  strawberry.  The  chief  difference  between 
the  two  is  in  the  form  of  the  fruit,  the  Wood  varieties  being 
round  and  the  Alpine  conical.  They  are  also  subdivided 
into  white  and  red,  annual  and  monthly  varieties,  and  those 
that  produce  no  runners,  which  are  known  to-day  as  Bush 
Alpines. 

The  Alpine,  as  we  find  it  growing  wild,  was  the  strawberry 


STRAWBERRIES—  ORIGTN  AND  HISTORY.        47 

of  the  ancients.     It  is  to  it  that  the  suggestive  lines  of  Virgil 

refer :  — 

"  Ye  boys  that  gather  flowers  and  strawberries, 
Lo,  hid  within  the  grass  an  adder  lies." 

There  is  no  proof,  I  believe,  that  the  strawberry  was  cul- 
tivated during  any  of  the  earlier  civilizations.  Some  who 
wrote  most  explicitly  concerning  the  fruit  culture  of  their  time 
do  not  mention  it ;  and  Virgil,  Ovid,  and  Pliny  name  it  but 
casually,  and  with  no  reference  to  its  cultivation.  It  may 
appear  a  little  strange  that  the  luxurious  Romans,  who  fed 
on  nightingales'  tongues,  peacocks'  brains,  and  scoured 
earth  and  air  for  delicacies,  should  have  given  but  little 
attention  to  this  fruit.  Possibly  they  early  learned  the  fact 
that  this  species  is  essentially  a  wildling,  and,  like  the  trail- 
ing arbutus,  thrives  best  in  its  natural  haunts.  The  best 
that  grew  could  be  gathered  from  mountain-slopes  and  in 
the  crevices  of  rocks.  Moreover,  those  old  revellers  became 
too  wicked  and  sensual  to  relish  Alpine  strawberries. 

Its  congener,  the  Wood  strawberry,  was  the  burden  of 
one  of  the  London  street  cries  four  hundred  years  ago ;  and 
to-day  the  same  cry,  in  some  language  or  other,  echoes 
around  the  northern  hemisphere  as  one  of  the  inevitable 
and  welcome  sounds  of  spring  and  early  summer. 

But  few,  perhaps,  associate  this  lowly  little  fruit,  that  is 
almost  as  delicate  and  shy  as  the  anemone,  with  tragedy; 
and  yet  its  chief  poetical  associations  are  among  the  darkest 
and  saddest  that  can  be  imagined.  Shakspeare's  mention 
of  the  strawberry  in  the  play  of  Richard  III.  was  an  uncon- 
scious but  remarkable  illustration  of  the  second  line  already 
quoted  from  Virgil :  — 

"  Lo,  hid  within  the  grass  an  adder  lies." 

The  bit  of  history  which  is  the  occasion  of  this  allusion  is 
given  in  the  quaint  old  English  of  Sir  Thomas  More,  who 


43 

thus  describes  the  entrance  to  the  Council  of  the  terrible 
"  Protector,"  from  whom  nothing  good  or  sacred  could  be 
protected.  He  came  "  fyrste  about  IX  of  the  clocke,  salut- 
ing them  curtesly,  and  excusing  himself  that  he  had  been 
from  them  so  long,  saieing  merily  that  he  had  been  a  slepe 
that  day.  And  after  a  little  talking  with  them  he  said  unto 
the  bishop  of  Elye,  my  lord,  You  have  very  good  straw- 
berries at  your  gardayne  in  Holberne,  I  require  you  let  us 
have  a  messe  of  them."  He  who  has  raised  fine  fruit  will 
know  how  eagerly  the  flattered  bishop  obeyed.  Accord- 
ing to  the  poet,  the  dissembler  also  leaves  the  apartment, 
with  his  unscrupulous  ally,  Buckingham. 

"  Where  is  my  lord  protector  ?     I  have  sent 
For  these  strawberries," 

said  the  Bishop  of  Ely,  re-entering. 

Lord  Hastings  looks  around  with  an  air  of  general  con- 
gratulation, and  remarks :  — 

"  His  grace  looks  cheerfully  and  smooth  this  morning ; 
There  's  some  conceit  or  other  likes  him  well." 

The  serpent  is  hidden,  but  very  near.  A  moment  later, 
Gloster  enters,  black  as  night,  hisses  his  monstrous  charge, 
and  before  noon  of  that  same  day  poor  Hastings  is  a  head- 
less corpse. 

Far  more  sad  and  pitiful  are  the  scenes  recalled  by  the 
words  of  the  fiendish  lago,  —  type  for  all  time  of  those  who 
transmute  love  into  jealousy :  — 

"  Tell  me  but  this  — 

Have  you  not  sometimes  seen  a  handkerchief, 
Spotted  with  strawberries,  in  your  wife's  hand  ?  " 

"  I  gave  her  such  a  one  ;  't  was  my  first  gift." 

was  the  answer  of  a  man  whom  the  world  will  never  forgive, 
in  spite  of  his  immeasurable  remorse. 


STRAWBERRIES —ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY.         49 

From  the  poet  Spenser  we  learn  that  to  go  a- strawberry- 
ing  was  one  of  the  earliest  pastimes  of  the  English  people. 
In  the  "  Faerie  Queen  "  we  find  these  lines  :  — 

"  One  day,  as  they  all  three  together  went 

To  the  green  wood  to  gather  strawberries, 
There  chaunst  to  them  a  dangerous  accident." 

Very  old,  too,  is  the  following  nursery  rhyme,  which, 
nevertheless,  suggests  the  true  habitat  of  the  f.  vesca 
species :  — 

"  The  man  of  the  wilderness  asked  me 
How  many  strawberries  grew  in  the  sea  j 
I  answered  him,  as  I  thought  good, 
4  As  many  red  herrings  as  grew  in  the  wood.'  " 

The  ambrosial  combination  of  strawberries  and  cream 
was  first  named  by  Sir  Philip  Sidney.  Old  Thomas  Tusser, 
of  the  1 6th  century,  in  his  work,  "  Five  Hundred  Points  of 
Good  Husbandry  united  to  as  many  of  Good  Housewifery," 
turns  the  strawberry  question  over  to  his  wife,  and  doubtless 
it  was  in  better  hands  than  his,  if  his  methods  of  culture 
were  as  rude  as  his  poetry :  — 

"  Wife,  into  the  garden,  and  set  me  a  plot 
With  strawberry  roots,  of  the  best  to  be  got ; 
Such,  growing  abroad,  among  thorns  in  the  wood, 
Well  chosen  and  picked  prove  excellent  good." 

Who  "  Dr.  Boteler  "  was,  or  what  he  did,  is  unknown,  but 
he  made  a  sententious  remark  which  led  Izaak  Walton  to' 
give  him  immortality  in  his  work,  "  The  Compleat  Angler." 
"Indeed,  my  good  schollar,"  the  serene  Izaak  writes,  "we 
may  say  of  angling  as  Dr.  Boteler  said  of  strawberries, 
'  Doubtless  God  could  have  made  a  better  berry,  but  doubt- 
less God  never  did ; '  and  so,  if  I  might  be  judge,  God 
never  did  make  a  more  calm,  quiet,  innocent  recreation 
than  angling."  If  this  was  true  of  the  wild  Wood  straw- 

4 


50  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

berry,  how  much  more  so  of  many  of  our  aromatic  rubies  of 
to-day. 

John  Parkinson,  the  apothecary-gardener  of  London, 
whose  quaint  work  was  published  in  1629,  is  not  so  enthusi- 
astic. He  says  of  the  wild  strawberry :  "  It  may  be  eaten 
or  chewed  in  the  mouth  without  any  manner  of  offense ;  it 
is  no  great  bearer,  but  those  it  doth  beare  are  set  at  the 
toppes  of  the  stalks,  close  together,  pleasant  to  behold,  and 
fit  for  a  gentlewoman  to  wear  on  her  arme,  &c.,  as  a  raritie 
instead  of  a  flower." 

In  England,  the  strawberry  leaf  is  part  of  the  insignia  of 
high  rank,  since  it  appears  in  the  coronets  of  a  duke,  mar- 
quis, and  earl.  "  He  aspires  to  the  strawberry  leaves  "  is  a 
well-known  phrase  abroad,  and  the  idea  occurs  several  times 
in  the  novels  of  Disraeli,  the  present  British  Premier. 
Thackeray,  in  his  "Book  of  Snobs,"  writes:  "The  straw- 
berry leaves  on  her  chariot  panels  are  engraved  on  her  lady- 
ship's heart." 

After  all,  perhaps  it  is  not  strange  that  the  Alpine  species 
should  be  allied  to  some  dark  memories,  for  it  was  the  only 
kind  known  when  the  age  was  darkened  by  passion  and 
crime. 

The  one  other  allusion  to  the  strawberry  in  Shakspeare 
is  peculiarly  appropriate  to  the  species  under  consideration. 
In  the  play  of  Henry  V.,  an  earlier  Bishop  of  Ely  says  :  — • 

"  The  strawberry  grows  underneath  the  nettle, 
And  wholesome  berries  thrive  and  ripen  best 
Neighbored  by  fruit  of  baser  quality." 

And  this,  probably,  is  still  true,  for  the  Alpine  and  Wood 
strawberries  tend  to  reproduce  themselves  with  such  unvary- 
ing exactness  that  cultivation  makes  but  little  difference. 

All  these  allusions  apply  to  the  F.  vesca  or  Alpine  spe- 


STRA  WBERRIES—  ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY,  i       5 1 

cies,  and  little  advance  was  made  in  strawberry  culture  in 
Europe  until  after  the  introduction  of  other  species  more 
capable  of  variation  and  improvement.  Still,  attempts  were 
made  from  time  to  time.  As  the  Alpine  differed  somewhat 
from  the  Wood  strawberry,  they  were  brought  to  England 
about  200  years  later  than  the  tragedy  of  Lord  Hastings' 
death,  which  has  been  referred  to. 

In  connection  with  the  White  and  Red  Wood  and  Alpine 
strawberries,  we  find  in  1623  the  name  of  the  HAUTBOIS  or 
Haarbeer  strawberry,  the  Fragaria  elatior  of  the  botanists. 
This  second  species,  a  native  of  Germany,  resembles  the 
Alpine  in  some  respects,  but  is  a  larger  and  stockier  plant. 
Like  the  Fragaria  vesca,  its  fruit-stalks  are  erect  and  longer 
than  the  leaves,  but  the  latter  are  larger  than  the  foliage 
of  the  Alpine,  and  are  covered  with  short  hairs,  both  on 
the  upper  and  under  surface,  which  give  them  a  rough  ap- 
pearance. As  far  as  I  can  learn,  this  species  still  further 
resembled  the  Alpines  in  possessing  little  capability  of 
improvement  and  variation.  Even  at  this  late  day  the 
various  named  kinds  are  said  to  differ  from  each  other  but 
slightly.  There  is  a  very  marked  contrast,  however,  be- 
tween the  fruit  of  the  Hautbois  and  Alpine  species,  for  the 
former  has  a  peculiar  musky  flavor  which  has  never  found 
much  favor  in  this  country.  It  is,  therefore,  a  comparatively 
rare  fruit  in  our  gardens,  nor  do  we  find  much  said  of  it  in 
the  past. 

There  is  scarcely  any  record  of  progress  until  after  the 
introduction  of  the  two  great  American  species.  It  is  true 
that  in  1660  a  fruit  grower  at  Montreuil,  France,  is  "said 
to  have  produced  a  new  variety  from  the  seed  of  the  Wood 
strawberry,"  which  was  called  the  "  Cappron,"  and  after- 
ward the  "  Fressant."  It  was  named  as  a  distinct  variety 
one  hundred  years  later,  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  it 


52  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

differed  greatly  from  its  parent.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is 
said  to  be  the  first  improved  variety  of  which  there  is  any 
record. 

Early  in  the  i  yth  century,  intercourse  with  this  continent 
led  to  the  introduction  of  the  most  valuable  species  in  ex- 
istence, the  VIRGINIAN  strawberry  (Fragaria  Virginiana), 
which  grows  wild  from  the  Arctic  regions  to  Florida,  and 
westward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  first  named  in  the 
catalogue  of  Jean  Robin,  botanist  to  Louis  XIII.,  in  1624. 
During  the  first  century  of  its  career  in  England,  it  was  not 
appreciated,  but  as  its  wonderful  capacity  for  variation  and 
improvement  —  in  which  it  formed  so  marked  a  contrast  to 
the  Wood  strawberry  —  was  discovered,  it  began  to  receive 
the  attention  it  deserved.  English  gardeners  learned  the 
fact,  of  which  we  are  making  so  much  to-day,  that  by  sim- 
ply sowing  its  seeds,  new  and  possibly  better  varieties  could 
be  produced.  From  that  time  and  forward,  the  tendency 
has  increased  to  originate,  name,  and  send  out  innumera- 
ble seedlings,  the  majority  of  which  soon  pass  into  oblivion, 
while  a  few  survive  and  become  popular,  usually  in  propor- 
tion to  their  merit. 

The  Fragaria  Virginiana,  therefore,  the  common  wild 
strawberry  that  is  found  in  all  parts  of  North  America  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  is  the  parent  of  nine- tenths  of  the 
varieties  grown  in  our  gardens ;  and  its  improved  descend- 
ants furnish  nearly  all  of  the  strawberries  of  our  markets. 
As  we  have  seen,  the  Fragaria  vesca,  or  the  Alpine  species 
of  Europe,  is  substantially  the  same  to-day  as  it  was  a  thou- 
sand years  ago.  But  the  capacity  of  the  Virginian  straw- 
berry for  change  and  improvement  is  shown  by  those  great 
landmarks  in  the  American  culture  of  this  fruit,  —  the  pro- 
duction of  Hovey's  Seedling  by  C.  M.  Hovey,  of  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  forty-five  years  since ;  of  the  Wilson's  Albany  Seed- 


STRAWBERRIES— ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY.         53 

ling,  originated  by  John  Wilson,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  about 
twenty-five  years  ago,  and,  in  our  own  time,  of  the  superb 
varieties,  Monarch  of  the  West,  Seth  Boyden,  Charles  Down- 
ing, and  Sharpless. 

As  in  the  Alpine  species  there  are  two  distinct  strains,  — 
the  Alpine  of  the  Continent,  and  the  Wood  strawberry  of 
England,  —  so  in  the  wild  Virginian  species  there  are  two 
branches  of  the  family,  —  the  Eastern  and  the  Western.  The 
differences  are  so  marked  that  some  writers  have  asserted 
that  there  are  two  species ;  but  we  have  the  authority  of 
Professor  Gray  for  saying  that  the  Western,  or  Fragaria  llli- 
acensis,  is  "  perhaps  "  a  distinct  species,  and  he  classifies  it 
as  only  a  very  marked  variety. 

There  are  but  two  more  species  of  the  strawberry  genus. 
Of  the  first  of  these,  the  Fragaria  Jndica,  or  INDIAN  straw- 
berry, there  is  little  to  say.  It  is  a  native  of  Northern  In- 
dia, and  differs  so  much  from  the  other  species  that  it  was 
formerly  named  as  a  distinct  genus.  It  has  yellow  flowers, 
and  is  a  showy  house-plant,  especially  for  window- baskets, 
but  the  fruit  is  dry  and  tasteless.  It  is  said  by  Prof.  Gray 
to  have  escaped  cultivation  and  become  wild  in  some  lo- 
calities of  this  country. 

Fragaria  Chilensis  is  the  last  great  species  or  subdivision 
that  we  now  have  to  consider.  Like  the  F.  Virginiana,  it 
is  a  native  of  the  American  continent,  and  yet  we  have 
learned  to  associate  it  almost  wholly  with  Europe.  It  grows 
wild  on  the  Pacific  slope,  from  Oregon  to  Chili,  creeping 
higher  and  higher  up  the  mountains  as  its  habitat  approaches 
the  equator.  "  It  is  a  large,  robust  species,  with  very  firm, 
thick  leaflets,  soft  and  silky  on  the  under  side."  The  flow- 
ers are  larger  than  in  the  other  species ;  the  fruit,  also,  in  its 
native  condition,  averages  much  larger,  stands  erect  instead 
of  hanging,  ripens  late,  is  rose-colored,  firm  and  sweet  in 
C— ROE— XVII 


54  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

flesh,  and  does  not  require  as  much  heat  to  develop  its 
saccharine  constituents ;  but  it  lacks  the  peculiar  sprightli- 
ness  and  aroma  of  the  Virginia  strawberry.  It  has  become, 
however,  the  favorite  stock  of  the  European  gardeners,  and 
seems  better  adapted  to  transatlantic  climate  and  soil  than 
to  ours.  The  first  mention  of  the  Fragaria  Chilensis,  or 
South  American  strawberry,  says  Mr.  Fuller,  "is  by  M. 
Frezier,  who,  in  1716,  in  his  journey  to  the  South  Sea, 
found  it  at  the  foot  of  the  Cordillera  mountains  near  Quito, 
and  carried  it  home  to  Marseilles,  France."  At  that  time 
it  was  called  the  Chili  strawberry,  and  the  Spaniards  said 
that  they  brought  it  from  Mexico. 

From  Mr.  W.  Collett  Sandars,  an  English  antiquarian,  I 
learn  that  seven  plants  were  shipped  from  Chili  and  were 
kept  alive  during  the  voyage  by  water  which  M.  Frezier 
saved  from  his  allowance,  much  limited  owing  to  a  short- 
ness of  supply.  He  gave  two  of  the  plants  to  M.  de  Jessieu, 
"  who  cultivated  them  with  fair  success  in  the  royal  gar- 
dens." In  1 727,  the  Chili  strawberry  was  introduced  to  Eng- 
land, but  not  being  understood  it  did  not  win  much  favor. 

Mr.  Fuller  further  states  :  "  We  do  not  learn  from  any  of 
the  old  French  works  that  new  varieties  were  raised  from 
the  Chili  strawberry  for  at  least  fifty  years  after  its  introduc- 
tion." Duchesne,  in  1 766,  says  that  "  Miller  considered  its 
cultivation  abandoned  in  England  on  account  of  its  sterility. 
The  importations  from  other  portions  of  South  America  ap- 
pear to  have  met  with  better  success ;  and,  early  in  the  pres- 
ent century,  new  varieties  of  the  F.  Chilensis,  as  well  as  of 
the  Virginiana,  became  quite  abundant  in  England  and  on 
the  Continent." 

If  we  may  judge  from  the  characteristics  of  the  varieties 
imported  to  this  country  of  late  years,  the  South  American 
species  has  taken  the  lead  decidedly  abroad,  and  has  be- 


STRAWBERRIES— ORIGIN  AND    HISTORY.         55 

come  the  parent  stock  from  which  foreign  culturists,  in  the 
main,  are  seeking  to  develop  the  ideal  strawberry.  But  in 
all  its  transformations,  and  after  all  the  attempts  to  infuse 
into  it  the  sturdier  life  of  the  Virginian  strawberry,  it  still  re- 
members its  birthplace,  and  falters  and  often  dies  in  the 
8evere  cold  of  our  winters,  or,  what  is  still  worse,  the  heat 
and  drought  of  our  summers.  As  a  species,  it  requires  the 
high  and  careful  culture  that  they  are  able  and  willing  to 
give  it  in  Europe.  The  majority  of  imported  varieties  have 
failed  in  the  United  States,  iut  a  few  have  become  justly 
popular  in  regions  where  they  can  be  grown.  The  Triomphe 
de  Gand  may  be  given  as  an  example,  and  were  I  restricted 
to  one  variety  I  should  take  this.  The  Jucunda,  also,  is  one 
of  the  most  superb  berries  in  existence ;  and  can  be  grown 
with  great  profit  in  many  localities. 

Thus  the  two  great  species  which  to-day  are  furnishing 
ninety-nine  hundredths  of  the  strawberries  of  commerce  and 
of  the  garden,  both  in  this  country  and  abroad,  came  from 
America,  the  Fragaria  Chilensis  reaching  our  Eastern  States 
by  the  way  of  Europe,  and  in  the  form  of  the  improved  and 
cultivated  varieties  that  have  won  a  name  abroad.  We  are 
crossing  the  importations  with  our  own  native  stock.  Presi- 
dent Wilder's  superb  seedling,  which  has  received  his  name, 
is  an  example  of  this  blending  process.  This  berry  is  a  child 
of  the  La  Constante  and  Hovey's  Seedling,  and,  therefore, 
in  this  one  beautiful  and  most  delicious  variety  we  have 
united  the  characteristics  of  the  two  chief  strawberry  species 
of  the  world,  the  F.  Virginiana  and  F.  Chilensis. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  great  law  of  race  extends  even  to 
strawberry  plants.  As  in  the  most  refined  and  cultivated 
peoples  there  is  a  strain  of  the  old  native  stock,  which  ever 
remains,  a  source  of  weakness  or  strength,  and  will  surely 
show  itself  in  certain  emergencies,  so  the  superb  new  varie- 


56  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

ties  of  strawberries,  the  latest  products  of  horticultural  skill, 
speedily  indicate  in  the  rough-and-tumble  of  ordinary  cul- 
ture whether  they  have  derived  their  life  from  the  hardy  F. 
Virginiana  or  the  tender  and  fastidious  F.  Chilensis.  The 
Monarch  of  the  West  and  the  Jucunda  are  the  patricians 
of  the  garden,  and  on  the  heavy  portions  of  my  land  at 
Cornwall  I  can  scarcely  say  to  which  I  give  the  preference. 
But  the  Monarch  is  Anglo-Saxon  and  the  Jucunda  is  of  a 
Latin  race ;  or  to  drop  metaphor,  the  former  comes  of  a 
species  that  can  adapt  itself  to  conditions  extremely  varied, 
and  even  very  unfavorable,  and  the  latter  cannot 


CHAPTER  V. 

IDEAL  STRAWBERRIES   VERSUS  THOSE   OF  THE   FIELD   AND 
MARKET. 

*"PHERE  are  certain  strong,  coarse-feeding  vegetables, 
like  corn  and  potatoes,  that  can  be  grown  on  the  half- 
subdued  and  comparatively  poor  soil  of  the  field  j  but  no 
gardener  would  think  of  planting  the  finer  and  more  deli- 
cate sorts  in  such  situations.  There  are  but  few  who  do 
not  know  that  they  can  raise  cauliflowers  and  egg-plants 
only  on  deep,  rich  land.  The  parallel  holds  good  with  this 
fruit.  There  are  strawberries  that  will  grow  almost  any- 
where, and  under  any  circumstances,  and  there  is  another 
class  that  demands  the  best  ground  and  culture.  But  from 
the  soil  of  a  good  garden,  with  a  little  pains,  we  can  obtain 
the  finest  fruit  in  existence ;  and  there  is  no  occasion  to 
plant  those  kinds  which  are  grown  for  market  solely  be- 
cause they  are  productive,  and  hard  enough  to  endure  car- 
riage for  a  long  distance.  The  only  transportation  to  be 
considered  is  from  the  garden  to  the  table,  and  therefore 
we  can  make  table  qualities  our  chief  concern.  If  our  soil 
is  light  and  sandy,  we  can  raise  successfully  one  class  of 
choice,  high-flavored  varieties;  if  heavy,  another  class. 
Many  worry  over  a  forlorn,  weedy  bed  of  some  inferior 
variety  that  scarcely  gives  a  week's  supply,  when,  with  no 
more  trouble  than  is  required  to  obtain  a  crop  of  celery, 
large,  delicious  berries  might  be  enjoyed  daily,  for  six  weeks 
together,  from  twenty  different  kinds. 


58  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

The  strawberry  of  commerce  is  a  much  more  difficult 
problem.  The  present  unsatisfactory  condition  of  affairs 
was  admirably  expressed  in  the  following  editorial  in  the 
"Evening  Post"  of  June  12,  1876,  from  the  pen  of  the 
late  William  Cullen  Bryant :  — 

STRAWBERRIES. 

In  general,  an  improvement  has  been  observed  of  late  in 
the  quality  of  fruit.  We  have  more  and  finer  varieties  of  the 
apple  ;  the  pear  is  much  better  in  general  than  it  was  ten  years 
since  ;  of  the  grape  there  are  many  new  and  excellent  varieties 
which  the  market  knew  nothing  of  a  few  years  ago,  and  there 
are  some  excellent  varieties  of  the  raspberry  lately  introduced. 
But  the  strawberry  has  decidedly  deteriorated,  and  the  result 
is  owing  to  the  general  culture  of  Wilson's  Albany  for  the 
market.  Wilson's  Albany  is  a  sour,  crude  berry,  which  is  not 
fully  ripe  when  it  is  perfectly  red,  and  even  when  perfectly  ripe 
is  still  too  acid.  When  it  first  makes  its  appearance  in  the 
market,  it  has  an  exceedingly  harsh  flavor  and  very  little  of  the 
agreeable  aroma  which  distinguishes  the  finer  kinds  of  the  berry. 
If  not  eaten  very  sparingly,  it  disagrees  with  the  stomach,  and 
you  wake  with  a  colic  the  next  morning.  Before  Wilson's 
strawberry  came  into  vogue  there  were  many  other  kinds  which 
were  sweeter  and  of  a  more  agreeable  flavor.  But  the  Wilson 
is  a  hard  berry,  which  bears  transportation  well  ;  it  is  exceed- 
ingly prolific  and  altogether  hardy,  —  qualities  which  give  it 
great  favor  with  the  cultivator,  but  for  which  the  consumer 
suffers.  The  proper  way  of  dealing  in  strawberries  is  to  fix  the 
prices  according  to  the  quality  of  the  sort.  This  is  the  way 
they  do  in  the  markets  of  Paris.  A  poor  sort,  although  the 
berry  may  be  large,  is  sold  cheap  ;  the  more  delicate  kinds  — 
the  sweet,  juicy,  and  high-flavored  —  are  disposed  of  at  a  higher 
price.  Here  the  Wilson  should  be  sold  the  cheapest  of  all, 
while  such  as  the  Jucunda  and  the  President  Wilder  should 
bear  a  price  corresponding  to  their  excellence.  We  hope,  for 
our  part,  that  the  Wilsons  will,  as  scon  as  their  place  can  be 


IDEAL  AND  MARKET    STRAWBERRIES.          59 

supplied  by  a  better  berry,  be  banished  from  the  market.  It 
can  surely  be  no  difficult  thing  to  obtain  a  sort  by  crossing, 
which  shall  bear  transportation  equally  well,  and  shall  not 
deceive  the  purchaser  with  the  appearance  of  ripeness. 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  Mr.  Bryant  has  portrayed 
both  the  evil  and  the  remedy.  The  public  justly  complains 
of  the  strawberry  of  commerce,  but  it  has  not  followed  the 
suggestion  in  the  editorial  and  demanded  a  better  article, 
even  though  it  must  be  furnished  at  a  higher  price. 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  that  is  said  and  written  annually 
against  the  Wilson,  it  still  maintains  its  supremacy  as  the 
market  berry.  Those  who  reside  near  the  city  and  can 
make,  to  some  extent,  special  arrangements  with  enlightened 
customers,  find  other  varieties  more  profitable,  even  though 
the  yield  from  them  is  less  and  some  are  lost  from  lack  of 
keeping  qualities.  But  those  who  send  from  a  considerable 
distance,  and  must  take  their  chances  in  the  general  market, 
persist  in  raising  the  "  sour,  crude  berry,"  which  is  red  be- 
fore it  is  ripe,  and  hard  enough  to  stand  the  rough  usage 
which  it  is  almost  certain  to  receive  from  the  hands  through 
which  it  passes.  I  do  not  expect  to  see  the  day  when  the 
Wilson,  or  some  berry  like  it,  is  not  the  staple  supply  of  the 
market ;  although  I  hope  and  think  it  will  be  improved  up- 
on. But  let  it  be  understood  generally  that  they  are  Wil- 
sons, —  the  cheap  vin  ordinaire  of  strawberries.  Cities  will 
ever  be  flooded  with  varieties  that  anybody  can  grow  under 
almost  any  kind  of  culture ;  and  no  doubt  it  is  better  that 
there  should  be  an  abundance  of  such  fruit  rather  than  none 
at  all.  But  a  delicately  organized  man,  like  Mr.  Bryant, 
cannot  eat  them ;  and  those  who  have  enjoyed  the  genuine 
strawberries  of  the  garden  will  not.  The  number  of  people, 
however,  with  the  digestion  of  an  ostrich,  is  enormous,  and 
in  multitudes  of  homes  Wilsons,  even  when  half-ripe,  musty, 


60  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

and  stale,  are  devoured  with  unalloyed  delight,  under  the 
illusion  that  they  are  strawberries. 

If  genuine  strawberries  are  wanted,  the  purchaser  must 
demand  them,  pay  for  them,  and  refuse  "  sour,  crude  ber- 
ries." The  remedy  is  solely  in  the  hands  of  the  consumers. 

If  people  would  pay  no  more  for  Seckel  than  for  Choke 
pears,  Choke  pears  would  be  the  only  ones  in  market,  for 
they  can  be  furnished  with  the  least  cost  and  trouble.  It  is 
the  lack  of  discrimination  that  leaves  our  markets  so  bare 
of  fine-flavored  fruit.  What  the  grower  and  the  grocer  are 
seeking  is  a  hard  berry,  which,  if  not  sold  speedily,  will 
"  keep  over."  Let  citizens  clearly  recognize  the  truth,  — 
that  there  are  superb,  delicious  berries,  like  the  Triomphe, 
Monarch,  Charles  Downing,  Boyden,  and  many  others,  and 
insist  on  being  supplied  with  them,  just  as  they  insist  on 
good  butter  and  good  meats,  and  the  problem  is  solved. 
The  demand  will  create  the  supply ;  the  fruit  merchant  will 
write  to  his  country  correspondents  :  "  You  must  send  fine- 
flavored  berries.  My  trade  will  not  take  any  others,  and  I 
can  return  you  more  money  for  half  the  quantity  of  fruit  if 
it  is  good."  The  most  stolid  of  growers  would  soon  take 
such  a  hint.  Moreover,  let  the  patrons  of  high-priced 
hotels  and  restaurants  indignantly  order  away  "  sour,  crude 
berries,"  as  they  would  any  other  inferior  viand,  and  caterers 
would  then  cease  to  palm  off  Wilsons  for  first-class  straw- 
berries. If  these  suggestions  were  carried  out  generally,  the 
character  of  the  New  York  strawberry  market  would  speedily 
be  changed.  It  is  my  impression  that,  within  a  few  years, 
only  those  who  are  able  to  raise  large,  fine- flavored  fruit  will 
secure  very  profitable  returns.  Moreover,  we  are  in  a  tran- 
sition state  in  respect  to  varieties,  and  there  are  scores  of 
new  kinds  just  coming  before  the  public,  of  which  wonder- 
ful things  are  claimed.  I  shall  test  nearly  a  hundred  of 


IDEAL  AND  MARKET  STRAWBERRIES.  6 1 

these  during  the  coming  season,  but  am  satisfied  in  advance 
that  nine-tenths  of  them  will  be  discarded  within  a  brief 
period.  Indeed,  I  doubt  whether  the  ideal  strawberry,  that 
shall  concentrate  every  excellence  within  its  one  juicy  sphere 
ever  will  be  discovered  or  originated.  We  shall  always  have 
to  make  a  choice,  as  we  do  in  friends,  for  their  several  good 
qualities  and  their  power  to  please  our  individual  tastes. 

There  is,  however,  one  perfect  strawberry  in  existence,  — 
the  strawberry  of  memory, —  the  little  wildlings  that  we  gath- 
ered perhaps,  with  those  over  whom  the  wild  strawberry  is  now 
growing.  We  will  admit  no  fault  in  it,  and  although  we 
may  no  longer  seek  for  this  favorite  fruit  of  our  childhood, 
with  the  finest  specimens  of  the  garden  before  us  we  sigh 
for  those  berries  that  grew  on  some  far-off  hillside  in  years 
still  farther  away. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CHOICE   OF   SOIL   AND   LOCATION. 

TTHE  choice  that  Tobias  Hobson  imposed  on  his  patrons 
•*•  when  he  compelled  them  to  take  "the  horse  nearest 
to  the  stable-door  "  or  none  at  all,  is  one  that,  in  principle, 
we  often  have  to  make  in  selecting  our  strawberry-ground. 
We  must  use  such  as  we  have,  or  raise  no  berries.  And  yet 
it  has  been  said  that  "  with  no  other  fruit  do  soil  and  local- 
ity make  so  great  differences."  While  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  this  is  truer  of  the  raspberry,  it  is  also  thoroughly 
established  that  location  and  the  native  qualities  of  the  soil 
are  among  the  first  and  chief  considerations  in  working  out 
the  problem  of  success  with  strawberries. 

Especially  should  such  forethought  be  given  in  selecting 
a  soil  suited  to  the  varieties  we  wish  to  raise.  Dr.  Thurber, 
editor  "  American  Agriculturist "  states  this  truth  emphati- 
cally. In  August,  1875,  he  wrote:  "All  talk  about  straw- 
berries must  be  with  reference  to  particular  soils.  As  an 
illustration  of  this,  there  were  exhibited  in  our  office  win- 
dows several  successive  lots  of  the  Monarch  of  the  West, 
which  were  immense  as  to  size  and  wonderful  as  to  produc- 
tiveness. This  same  Monarch  behaved  in  so  unkingly  a 
manner  on  our  grounds  (very  light  and  sandy  in  their 
nature)  that  he  would  have  been  deposed  had  we  not  seen 
these  berries,  for  it  was  quite  inferior  to  either  Charles 
Downing,  Seth  Boyden,  or  Kentucky. " 

It  is  a  generally  admitted  fact  that  the  very  best  soil,  and 
the  one  adapted  to  the  largest  number  of  varieties,  is  a 


STRAWBERRIES— SOIL  — LOCATION.  63 

deep  sandy  loam,  moist,  but  not  wet  in  its  natural  state. 
All  the  kinds  with  which  I  am  acquainted  will  do  well  on 
such  land  if  it  is  properly  deepened  and  enriched.  There- 
fore, we  should  select  such  ground  if  we  have  it  on  our 
places,  and  tho.se  proposing  to  buy  land  with  a  view  to  this 
industry  would  do  well  to  secure  from  the  start  one  of  the 
best  conditions  of  success. 

It  is  of  vital  importance  that  our  strawberry  fields  be  near 
good  shipping  facilities,  and  that  there  be  sufficient  popula- 
tion in  the  immediate  vicinity  to  furnish  pickers  in  abun- 
dance. It  will  be  far  better  to  pay  a  much  higher  price  for 
land — even  inferior  land  —  near  a  village  and  a  railroad 
depot,  than  to  attempt  to  grow  these  perishable  fruits  in 
regions  too  remote.  A  water  communication  with  market 
is,  of  course,  preferable  to  any  other.  Having  consid- 
ered the  question  of  harvesting  and  shipping  to  mar- 
ket, then  obtain  the  moist,  loamy  land  described  above,  if 
possible. 

Such  ground  will  make  just  as  generous  and  satisfactory 
returns  in  the  home  garden,  and  by  developing  its  best 
capabilities  the  amateur  can  attain  results  that  will  delight 
his  heart  and  amaze  his  neighbors. 

Shall  the  fact  that  we  have  no  such  soil,  and  cannot 
obtain  it,  discourage  us  ?  Not  at  all !  There  are  choice 
varieties  that  will  grow  in  the  extremes  of  sand  or  clay. 
More  effort  will  be  required,  but  skill  and  information  can 
still  secure  success ;  and  advantages  of  location,  climate, 
and  nearness  to  good  markets  may  more  than  counterbal- 
ance natural  deficiencies  in  the  land.  Besides,  there  is 
almost  as  solid  a  satisfaction  in  transforming  a  bit  of  the 
wilderness  into  a  garden  as  in  reforming  and  educating  a 
crude  or  evil  specimen  of  humanity.  Therefore  if  one  finds 
himself  in  an  unfavorable  climate,  and  shut  up  to  the  choice 


64  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

of  land  the  reverse  of  a  deep,  moist,  sandy  loam,  let  him 
pit  his  brain  and  muscle  against  all  obstacles. 

If  the  question  were  asked,  "  Is  there  anything  that  comes 
from  the  garden  better  liked  than  a  dish  of  strawberries?" 
in  nine  instances  out  of  ten  the  answer  would  be,  "  Noth- 
ing," even  though  sour  Wilsons  were  grown ;  and  yet,  too 
often  the  bed  is  in  a  neglected  corner  and  half  shaded  by 
trees,  while  strong- growing  vegetables  occupy  the  moist, 
open  spaces.  It  is  hardly  rational  to  put  the  favorite  of  the 
garden  where,  at  best,  a  partial  failure  is  certain.  Let  it  be 
well  understood  that  strawberries  cannot  be  made  to  do  well 
on  ground  exhausted  by  the  roots  and  covered  by  the  shade 
of  trees. 

On  many  farms  and  even  in  some  gardens  there  are  sev- 
eral varieties  of  soil.  Within  the  area  of  an  acre  I  have  a 
sandy  loam,  a  gravelly  hillside,  low,  black,  alluvial  land,  and 
a  very  stiff,  cold,  wet  clay.  Such  diversity  does  not  often 
occur  within  so  limited  a  space,  but  on  multitudes  of  places 
corresponding  differences  exist.  In  such  instances,  condi- 
tions suited  to  every  variety  can  be  found,  and  reading  and 
experience  will  teach  the  cultivator  to  locate  his  several 
kinds  just  where  they  will  give  the  best  results.  Moreover, 
by  placing  early  kinds  on  warm,  sunny  slopes,  and  giving 
late  varieties  moist,  heavy  land,  and  cool,  northern  expos- 
ures, the  season  of  this  delicious  fruit  can  be  prolonged 
greatly.  The  advantage  of  a  long- continued  supply  for  the 
family  is  obvious,  but  it  is  often  even  more  important  to 
those  whose  income  is  dependent  on  this  industry.  It 
frequently  occurs  that  the  market  is  "  glutted  "  with  berries 
for  a  brief  time  in  the  height  of  the  season.  If  the  crop 
matures  in  the  main  at  such  a  time,  the  one  chance  of  the 
year  passes,  leaving  but  a  small  margin  of  profit ;  whereas, 
if  the  grower  had  prolonged  his  season,  by  a  careful  seleo 


STRAWBERRIES— SOIL  — LOCATION.  6$ 

tlon  of  soils  as  well  as  of  varieties,  he  might  sell  a  large  por- 
tion of  his  fruit  when  it  was  scarce  and  high. 

Climate  also  is  a  very  important  consideration,  and  enters 
largely  into  the  problem  of  success  from  Maine  to  Southern 
California.  Each  region  has  its  advantages  and  disadvan- 
tages, and  these  should  be  estimated  before  the  purchaser 
takes  the  final  steps  which  commit  him  to  a  locality  and 
methods  of  culture  which  may  not  prove  to  his  taste.  In 
the  far  North,  sheltered  situations  and  light,  warm  land 
should  be  chosen  for  the  main  crop;  but  in  our  latitude, 
and  southward,  it  should  always  be  our  aim  to  avoid  that 
hardness  and  dryness  of  soil  that  cut  short  the  crops  and 
hopes  of  so  many  cultivators. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PREPARING  AND    ENRICHING  THE   SOIL. 

T  T  AVING  from  choice  or  necessity  decided  on  the  ground 
on  which  our  future  strawberries  are  to  grow,  the  next 
step  is  to  prepare  the  soil.  The  first  and  most  natural  ques- 
tion will  be,  What  is  the  chief  need  of  this  plant  ?  Many 
prepare  their  ground  in  a  vague,  indefinite  way.  Let  us 
prepare  for  strawberries. 

Whether  it  grows  North  or  South,  East  or  West,  the 
strawberry  plant  is  the  same,  and  has  certain  constitutional 
traits  and  requirements,  which  should  be  thoroughly  fixed 
in  our  minds.  Modifications  of  treatment  made  necessary 
by  various  soils  and  climates  are  then  not  only  easily  learned 
but  also  easily  understood. 

When  asked,  on  one  occasion,  what  was  the  chief  re- 
quirement in  successful  strawberry  culture,  Hon.  Marshall 
P.  Wilder  replied  substantially  in  the  following  piquant 
manner :  — 

"  In  the  first  place,  the  strawberry's  chief  need  is  a  great 
deal  of  water. 

"  In  the  second  place,  it  needs  more  water. 

"  In  the  third  place,  I  think  I  would  give  it  a  great  deal 
more  water." 

The  more  extended  and  full  my  experience  becomes,  the 
less  exaggeration  I  find  in  his  words.  The  following  strong 
confirmation  of  President  Wilder's  opinion  may  be  found 
in  Thompson's  "Gardener's  Assistant,"  a  standard  English 
work :  — 


PREPARING  AND  ENRICHING  THE  SOIL.        6/ 

"Ground  that  is  apt  to  get  very  dry  from  the  effects  of  only 
ten  days'  or  a  fortnight's  drought  is  not  suitable,  on  account  of 
the  enormous  quantity  of  water  that  will  be  necessary ;  and  if 
once  the  plants  begin  to  flag  for  want  of  moisture,  the  crop  is 
all  but  lost.  A  soil  that  is  naturally  somewhat  moist,  but  not 
too  wet,  answers  well ;  and  where  the  land  has  admitted  of  irri- 
gation, we  have  seen  heavy  crops  produced  every  year." 

If  this  be  true  in  England,  with  its  humid  climate,  how 
much  more  emphatically  should  we  state  the  importance  of 
this  requirement  in  our  land  of  long  droughts  and  scorching 
suns. 

Moisture,  then,  is  the  strawberry's  first  and  chief  need. 
Without  it,  the  best  fertilizers  become  injurious  rather  than 
helpful.  Therefore,  in  the  preparation  of  the  soil  and  its 
subsequent  cultivation,  there  should  be  a  constant  effort  to 
secure  and  maintain  moisture,  and  the  failure  to  do  this  is 
the  chief  cause  of  meagre  crops.  And  yet,  very  probably, 
the  first  step  absolutely  necessary  to  accomplish  this  will  be 
a  thorough  system  of  underdrainage.  I  have  spent  hun- 
dreds of  dollars  in  such  labors,  and  it  was  as  truly  my  ob- 
ject to  enable  the  ground  to  endure  drought  as  to  escape 
undue  wetness.  Let  it  be  understood  that  it  is  moist  and 
not  wet  land  that  the  strawberry  requires.  If  water  stands 
or  stagnates  upon  or  a  little  below  the  surface,  the  soil  be- 
comes sour,  heavy,  lifeless ;  and  if  clay  is  present,  it  will 
bake  like  pottery  in  dry  weather,  and  suggest  the  Slough  of 
Despond  in  wet.  Disappointment,  failure,  and  miasma  are 
the  certain  products  of  such  unregenerate  regions,  but,  as  is 
often  the  case  with  repressed  and  troublesome  people,  the 
evil  traits  of  such  soils  result  from  a  lack  of  balance,  and  a 
perversion  of  what  is  good. 

The   underdrain   restores   the   proper   equilibrium;    the 
brush-hook  and  axe  cut  away  the  rank  unwholesome  growth 


68  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

which  thrives  best  in  abnormal  conditions.  Sun,  air,  and 
purifying  frosts  mellow  and  sweeten  the  damp,  heavy  mala- 
rious ground,  as  the  plowshare  lifts  it  out  of  its  low  estate. 
A  swamp,  or  any  approach  to  one,  is  like  a  New  York  tene- 
ment-house district,  and  required  analogous  treatment. 

If,  however,  we  have  mellow  upland  with  natural  drainage, 
let  us  first  put  that  in  order  that  we  may  have  a  remunera- 
tive crop  as  soon  as  possible.  In  suggesting,  therefore,  the 
best  methods  of  preparing  and  enriching  the  ground,  I  will 
begin  by  considering  soils  that  are  already  in  the  most  fa- 
vorable conditions,  and  that  require  the  least  labor  and  out- 
lay. Man  received  his  most  essential  agricultural  instruction 
in  the  opening  chapter  of  Genesis,  wherein  he  is  commanded 
to  "  subdue  the  earth."  Even  the  mellow  Western  prairie 
is  at  first  a  wild,  untamed  thing,  that  must  be  subdued.  This 
is  often  a  simple  process,  and  in  our  gardens  and  the  greater 
part  of  many  farms  has  already  been  practically  accom- 
plished. Where  the  deep,  moist  loam,  just  described,  ex- 
ists, the  fortunate  owner  has  only  to  turn  it  up  to  the  sun 
and  give  it  a  year  of  ordinary  cultivation,  taking  from  it,  in 
the  process,  some  profitable  hoed  crop,  that  will  effectually 
kill  the  grass,  and  his  land  is  ready  for  strawberries.  If  his 
ground  is  in  condition  to  give  a  good  crop  of  corn,  it  will 
also  give  a  fair  crop  of  berries.  If  the  garden  is  so  far 
"  subdued  "as  to  yield  kitchen  vegetables,  the  strawberry 
may  be  planted  at  once,  with  the  prospect  of  excellent  re- 
turns, unless  proper  culture  is  neglected. 

Should  the  reader  be  content  with  mediocrity,  there  is 
scarcely  anything  to  be  said  where  the  conditions  are  so 
favorable.  But  suppose  one  is  not  content  with  mediocrity. 
Then  this  highly  favored  soil  is  but  the  vantage-ground  from 
which  skill  enters  on  a  course  of  thorough  preparation  and 
high  culture.  A  man  may  plow,  harrow,  and  set  with  straw- 


PREPARING  AND  ENRICHING   THE  SOIL.        69 

berries  the  land  that  was  planted  the  previous  year  in  corn, 
and  probably  secure  a  remunerative  return,  with  little  more 
trouble  or  cost  than  was  expended  on  the  corn.  Or,  he  may 
select  half  the  area  that  was  in  corn,  plow  it  deeply  in  Octo- 
ber, and  if  he  detects  traces  of  the  white  grub,  cross-plow  it 
igain  just  as  the  ground  is  beginning  to  freeze.  Early  in 
oe  spring  he  can  cover  the  surface  with  some  fertilizer  — 
nere  is  nothing  better  than  a  rotted  compost  of  muck  and 
barn-yard  manure  —  at  the  proportion  of  forty  or  fifty  tons 
to  the  acre.  Plow  and  cross-plow  again,  and  in  each  in- 
stance let  the  first  team  be  followed  by  a  subsoil  or  lifting 
plow,  which  stirs  and  loosens  the  substratum  without  bring- 
ing it  to  the  surface.  The  half  of  the  field  prepared  in  such 
a  thorough  manner  will  probably  yield  three  times  the 
amount  of  fruit  that  could  be  gathered  from  the  whole  area 
under  ordinary  treatment;  and  if  the  right  varieties  are 
grown,  and  a  good  market  is  within  reach,  the  money  re- 
ceived will  be  in  a  higher  ratio. 

The  principle  of  generous  and  thorough  preparation  may 
be  carried  still  further  in  the  garden,  and  its  soil,  already 
rich  and  mellow,  may  be  covered  to  the  depth  of  several 
inches  with  well-rotted  compost  or  any  form  of  barn-yard 
manure  that  is  not  too  coarse  and  full  of  heat,  and  this  may 
be  incorporated  with  the  earth  by  trenching  to  the  depth  of 
two  feet.  Of  this  be  certain  :  the  strawberry  roots  will  go 
as  deeply  as  the  soil  is  prepared  and  enriched  for  them,  and 
the  results  in  abundant  and  enormous  fruit  will  be  commen- 
surate. English  gardeners  advise  trenching  even  to  the 
depth  of  three  feet,  where  the  ground  permits  it. 

Few  soils  can  be  found  so  deep  and  rich  by  nature  that 
they  cannot  be  improved  by  art ;  and  the  question  for  each 
to  decide  is,  how  far  the  returns  will  compensate  for  extra 
preparation.  Very  often  land  for  strawberries  receives  but 


70  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

little  more  preparation  than  for  wheat,  and  such  methods 
must  pay  or  they  would  not  be  continued.  Many  who  fol- 
low these  methods  declare  that  they  are  the  most  profitable 
in  the  long  run.  I  doubt  it. 

If  our  market  is  one  in  which  strawberries  are  sold  simply 
as  such,  without  much  regard  to  flavor  or  size,  there  is  not 
the  same  inducement  to  produce  fine  fruit.  But  even  when 
quantity  is  the  chief  object,  deeply  prepared  and  enriched 
land  retains  that  essential  moisture  of  which  we  have  spoken, 
and  enables  the  plant  not  only  to  form,  but  also  to  develop 
and  mature,  a  great  deal  of  fruit.  In  the  majority  of  mar- 
kets, however,  each  year,  size  and  beauty  count  for  more, 
and  these  qualities  can  be  secured,  even  from  a  favorable 
soil,  only  after  thorough  preparation  and  enriching.  I  find 
that  every  writer  of  experience  on  this  subject,  both  Ameri- 
can and  European,  insists  vigorously  on  the  value  of  such 
careful  pulverization  and  deepening  of  the  soil. 

Having  thus  considered  the  most  favorable  land  in  the 
best  condition  possible,  under  ordinary  cultivation,  I  shall 
now  treat  of  that  less  suitable,  until  we  finally  reach  a  soil 
too  sterile  and  hopelessly  bad  to  repay  cultivation. 

I  will  speak  first  of  this  same  deep,  moist  loam,  in  its  un- 
subdued condition ;  that  is,  in  stiff  sod,  trees,  or  brush-wood. 
Of  course,  the  latter  must  be  removed,  and,  as  a  rule,  the 
crops  on  new  land  —  which  has  been  undisturbed  by  the 
plow  for  a  number  of  years,  "and,  perhaps,  never  robbed  of 
its  original  fertility  —  will  amply  repay  for  the  extra  labor  of 
clearing.  Especially  will  this  be  the  case  if  the  brush  and 
rubbish  are  burned  evenly  over  the  surface.  The  finest  of 
wild  strawberries  are  found  where  trees  have  been  felled  and 
the  brush  burned ;  and  the  successful  fruit  grower  is  the  one 
who  makes  the  best  use  of  such  hints  from  nature. 

The  field  would  look  better  and  the  cultivation  be  easier 


PREPARING  AND  ENRICHING    THE  SOIL.         <J\ 

if  all  the  stumps  could  be  removed  before  planting,  but  this 
might  involve  too  great  preliminary  expense,  and  I  always 
counsel  against  debt  except  in  the  direst  necessity.  A  little 
brush  burned  on  each  stump  will  effectually  check  new 
growth,  and,  in  two  or  three  years,  these  unsightly  objects 
will  be  so  rotten  that  they  can  be  pried  out,  and  easily 
turned  into  ashes,  one  of  the  best  of  fertilizers.  In  the 
meantime,  the  native  strength  of  the  land  will  cause  a 
growth  which  will  compensate  for  the  partial  lack  of  deep 
and  thorough  cultivation  which  the  stumps  and  roots  pre- 
vent. Those  who  have  travelled  West  and  South  have  seen 
fine  crops  of  corn  growing  among  the  half-burned  stumps, 
and  strawberries  will  do  as  well. 

But  where  trees  or  brush  have  grown  »very  thickly,  the 
roots  and  stumps  must  be  eradicated.  The  thick  growth 
on  the  sandy  land  of  Florida  is  grubbed  out  at  the  cost  of 
about  $30  per  acre,  and  I  know  of  a  gentleman  who  pays  at 
the  rate  of  $25  per  acre  in  the  vicinity  of  Norfolk,  Va.  I 
doubt  whether  it  can  be  done  for  less  elsewhere. 

In  some  regions  they  employ  a  stump  extractor,  a  rude 
but  strong  machine,  worked  by  blocks  and  pulleys,  with 
oxen  as  motor  power.  From  "The  Farmer's  Advocate  "  of 
London,  Ont.,  I  learn  that  an  expert  with  one  of  these  ma- 
chines, aided  by  five  men  and  two  yoke  of  oxen,  was  in  the 
habit  of  clearing  fifty  acres  annually. 

I  have  cleaned  hedge-rows  and  stony  spots  on  my  place 
in  the  following  thorough  manner :  A  man  commences  with 
pick  and  shovel  on  one  side  of  the  land  and  turns  it  steadily 
and  completely  over  by  hand  to  the  depth  of  fourteen  to 
eighteen  inches,  throwing  on  the  surface  behind  him  all  the 
roots,  stumps  and  stones,  and  stopping  occasionally  to  blast 
when  the  rocks  are  too  large  to  be  pried  out.  This,  of 
course,  is  expensive,  and  cannot  be  largely  indulged  in; 


72  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

but,  when  accomplished,  the  work  is  done  for  all  time,  and 
I  have  obtained  at  once  by  this  method  some  splendid  soil, 
in  which  the  plow  sinks  to  the  beam.  A  drought  must  be 
severe,  indeed,  that  can  injure  such  land. 

There  is  a  great  difference  in  men  in  the  performance  of 
this  work.  I  have  one  who,  within  a  reasonable  time,  would 
trench  a  farm.  Indeed,  in  his  power  to  obey  the  primal 
command  to  "  subdue  the  earth,"  my  man,  Abraham,  is  a 
hero,  —  although,  I  imagine,  he  scarcely  knows  what  the  word 
means,  and  would  as  soon  think  of  himself  as  a  hippopota- 
mus. His  fortunes  would  often  seem  as  dark  as  himself  to 
those  who  "  take  thought  for  the  morrow ;  "  and  that  is  saying 
much,  for  Abraham  is  "  colored  "  as  far  as  man  can  be. 

I  doubt  whethet  his  foresight  often  reaches  further  than 
bedtime,  and  to  that  hour  he  comes  with  an  honest  right 
to  rest.  He  is  a  family  man,  and  has  six  or  seven  children, 
under  eight  years  of  age,  whom  he  shelters  in  a  wretched 
little  house  that  appears  tired  of  standing  up.  But  to  and 
from  this  abode  Abraham  passes  daily,  with  a  face  as  serene 
as  a  May  morning.  In  that  weary  old  hovel  I  am  satisfied 
that  he  and  his  swarming  little  brood  have  found  what  no 
architect  can  build,  —  a  home.  Thither  he  carries  his  diur- 
nal dollar,  when  he  can  get  it,  and  on  it  they  all  manage  to 
live  and  grow  fat.  He  loses  time  occasionally,  it  is  true, 
through  illness,  but  no  such  trifling  misfortune  can  induce 
him,  seemingly,  to  take  a  long,  anxious  look  into  the  future. 
Only  once  —  it  was  last  winter  —  have  I  seen  him  dismayed 
by  the  frowning  fates.  The  doctor  thought  his  wife  would 
die,  and  they  had  nothing  to  eat  in  the  house.  When  Abra- 
ham appeared  before  me  at  that  time,  "  his  countenance  was 
fallen,"  as  the  quaint,  strong  language  of  Scripture  expresses 
it.  He  made  no  complaints,  however,  and  indulged  in  no 
Byronic  allusions  to  destiny.  Indeed,  he  said  very  little, 


PREPARING  AND  ENRICHING   THE  SOIL.         73 

but  merely  drooped  and  cowered,  as  if  the  wolf  at  the  door 
and  the  shadow  of  death  within  it  were  rather  more  than  he 
could  face  at  one  and  the  same  time.  It  soon  became  evi- 
dent, however,  that  his  wife  would  "  pull  through,"  as  he 
said,  and  then  the  wolf  did  n't  trouble  him  a  mite.  He  in- 
stalled himself  as  cook,  nurse,  and  house  man-of-all-work, 
finding  also  abundant  leisure  to  smoke  his  pipe  with  infinite 
content.  One  morning  he  was  seen  baking  buckwheat 
cakes  for  the  children ;  each  one  in  turn  received  an  allow- 
ance on  a  tin  plate,  and  squatted  here  and  there  on  the 
floor  to  devour  it ;  and,  from  the  master  of  ceremonies 
down,  there  was  not  an  indication  that  all  was  not  just  as  it 
should  be.  A  few  days  later,  I  met  him  coming  back  to 
his  work  with  his  pipe  in  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  and  the 
old  confident  twinkle  in  his  eye  as  he  said,  "  Mornin',  Bos- 
sie."  Now,  Abraham  carries  his  peculiar  characteristics 
into  grubbing.  If  I  should  set  him  at  a  hundred-acre  field 
full  of  stumps  and  stones,  and  tell  him  to  clear  it  to  the 
depth  of  two  feet,  he  would  begin  without  any  apparent  mis- 
giving, and  with  no  more  thought  for  the  magnitude  of  his 
task  than  he  has  for  the  tangled  and  stubborn  mysteries  of 
life  in  general,  or  the  dubious  question  of  "  what  shall  be  on 
the  morrow "  in  his  own  experience.  He  would  see  only 
the  little  strip  that  he  proposed  to  clear  up  that  day,  an'd 
would  go  to  work  in  a  way  all  his  own. 

Although  not  talkative  to  other  people,  he  is  very  social 
with  himself,  and,  in  the  early  days  of  our  acquaintance,  I 
was  constantly  misled  into  the  belief  that  somebody  was 
with  him,  and  that  he  was  a  man  of  words  rather  than  work. 
As  soon,  however,  as  I  reached  a  point  from  which  I  could 
see  him,  there  he  would  be,  alone,  bending  to  his  task  with 
the  steady  persistence  that  makes  his  labor  so  effective ;  but, 
at  the  same  time,  until  he  saw  me  he  would  continue  dis- 


74  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

cussing  with  equal  vigor  whatever  subject  might  be  upper- 
most in  his  mind.  I  suppose  he  scarcely  ever  takes  out  a 
stone  or  root  without  apostrophizing,  adjuring,  and  berating 
it  in  tones  and  vernacular  so  queer  that  one  might  imagine 
he  hoped  to  remove  the  refractory  object  by  magic  rather 
than  by  muscle.  When  the  sun  is  setting,  however,  and 
Abraham  has  complacently  advised  himself,  "  Better  quit, 
for  de  day's  done  gone,  and  de  ole  woman  is  arter  me, 
afeard  I  've  kivered  myself  up  a-grubbin',"  one  thing  is 
always  evident,  —  a  great  many  stones  and  roots  are  "  un- 
kivered,"  and  Abraham  has  earned  anew  his  right  to  the 
title  of  champion  grubber. 

But,  as  most  men  handle  the  pick  and  shovel,  the  fruit 
grower  must  be  chary  in  his  attempts  to  subdue  the  earth 
with  these  old-time  implements.  It  is  too  much  like  mak- 
ing war  with  the  ancient  Roman  short  sword  in  an  age  of 
rifled  guns.  I  agree  with  that  practical  horticulturist,  Peter 
Henderson,  that  there  are  no  implements  equal  to  the  plow 
and  subsoiler,  and,  in  our  broad  and  half-occupied  country, 
we  should  be  rather  shy  of  land  where  these  cannot  be 
used. 

The  cultivator  whose  deep,  moist  loam  is  covered  by  sod 
only,  instead  of  rocks,  brush,  and  trees,  may  feel  like  con- 
gratulating himself  on  the  easy  task  before  him ;  and,  in- 
deed, where  the  sod  is  light,  strawberries,  and  especially  the 
larger  small  fruits,  are  often  planted  on  it  at  once  with  fair 
success.  I  do  not  recommend  the  practice ;  for,  unless  the 
subsequent  culture  is  V2ry  thorough  and  frequent,  the  grass 
roots  will  continue  to  grow  and  may  become  so  intertwined 
with  those  of  the  strawberry  that  they  cannot  be  separated. 
Corn  is  probably  the  best  hoed  crop  to  precede  the  straw- 
berry. Potatoes  too  closely  resemble  this  fruit  in  their  de- 
mand for  potash,  and  exhaust  the  soil  of  one  of  the  most 


PREPARING  AND  ENRICHING   THE  SOIL.         75 

needed  elements.  A  dressing  of  wood  ashes,  however,  will 
make  good  the  loss.  Buckwheat  is  one  of  the  most  effective 
means  of  subduing  and  cleaning  land,  and  two  crops  can 
be  plowed  under  in  a  single  summer.  Last  spring  I  had 
some  very  stiff  marsh  sod  turned  over  and  sown  with  buck- 
wheat, which,  in  our  hurry,  was  not  plowed  under  until  con- 
siderable of  the  seed  ripened  and  fell.  A  second  crop  from 
this  came  up  at  once,  and  was  plowed  under  when  coming 
into  blossom,  as  the  first  should  have  been.  The  straw,  in 
its  succulent  state,  decayed  in  a  few  days,  and  by  autumn 
my  rough  marsh  sod  was  light,  rich,  and  mellow  as  a  garden, 
ready  for  anything. 

If  it  should  happen  that  the  land  designed  for  strawberries 
was  in  clover,  it  would  make  an  admirable  fertilizer  if  turned 
under  while  still  green,  and  I  think  its  u^e  for  this  purpose 
would  pay  better  than  cutting  it  for  hay,  even  though  there 
is  no  better.  Indeed,  were  I  about  to  put  any  sod  land, 
that  was  not  very  stiff  and  unsubdued,  into  small  fruits,  I 
would  wait  till  whatever  herbage  covered  the  ground  was 
just  coming  into  flower,  and  then  turn  it  under.  The  earlier 
growth  that  precedes  the  formation  of  seed  does  not  tax  the 
soil  much,  but  draws  its  substance  largely  from  the  atmos- 
phere, and  when  returned  to  the  earth  while  full  of  juices, 
is  valuable.  In  our  latitude  this  can  usually  be  done  by 
the  middle  of  June,  and  if  on  this  sod  buckwheat  is  sown  at 
once,  it  will  hasten  the  decay,  loosen  and  lighten  the  soil  hi 
its  growth,  and  in  a  few  weeks  be  ready  itself  to  increase  the 
fertility  of  the  field  by  being  plowed  under.  In  regions 
where  farmyard  manure  and  other  fertilizers  are  scarce  and 
high,  this  plowing  under  of  green  crops  is  one  of  the  most 
effective  ways  both  of  enriching  and  preparing  the  land; 
and  if  the  reader  has  no  severer  labors  to  perform  than  this, 
he  may  well  congratulate  himself. 


76  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

But  let  him  not  be  premature  in  his  self- felicitation,  for 
he  may  find  in  his  sod  ground,  especially  if  it  be  old 
meadow  land,  an  obstacle  worse  than  stumps  and  stones,  — 
the  Laehnosterna  fusca. 

This  portentous  name  may  well  inspire  dread,  for  the 
thing  itself  can  realize  one's  worst  fears.  The  deep,  moist 
loam  which  we  are  considering  is  the  favorite  haunt  of  this 
hateful  little  monster,  and  he  who  does  not  find  it  lying  in 
wait  when  turning  up  land  that  has  been  long  in  sod,  may 
deem  himself  lucky.  The  reader  need  not  draw  a  sigh  of 
relief  when  I  tell  him  that  I  mean  merely  the  "  white  grub," 
the  larva  of  the  May-beetle  or  June- bug,  that  so  disturbs  our 
slumbers  in  early  summer  by  its  sonorous  hum  and  aimless 
bumping  against  the  wall.  This  white  grub,  which  the 
farmers  often  call  the  "  potato  worm,"  is,  hi  this  region 
the  strawberry's  most  formidable  foe,  and,  by  devouring 
the  roots,  will  often  destroy  acres  of  plants.  If  the  plow 
turns  up  these  ugly  customers  in  large  numbers,  the  only 
recourse  is  to  cultivate  the  land  with  some  other  crop  until 
they  turn  into  beetles  and  fly  away.  This  enemy  will  re- 
ceive fuller  attention  in  a  later  chapter. 

It  is  said  that  this  pest  rarely  lays  its  eggs  in  plowed  land, 
preferring  sod  ground,  where  its  larvae  will  be  protected 
from  the  birds,  and  will  find  plenty  of  grass  roots  on  which 
to  feed.  Nature  sees  to  it  that  white  grubs  are  taken  care 
of,  but  our  Monarch  strawberries  need  our  best  skill  and 
help  hi  thej.  inequal  fight ;  and  if  "  Lachnos  "  and  tribe 
should  turn  out  in  force,  Alexander  himself  would  be  van- 
quished. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PREPARATION   OF  SOIL   BY   DRAINAGE. 

T^XCESSIVE  moisture  will  often  prevent  the  immediate 
•*"•*  cultivation  of  our  ideal  strawberry  land.  Its  absence 
is  fatal,  its  excess  equally  so.  Let  me  suggest  some  of  the 
evil  effects.  Every  one  is  aware  that  climate  —  that  is,  the 
average  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  throughout  the  year 
—  has  a  most  important  influence  on  vegetation.  But  a 
great  many,  I  imagine,  do  not  realize  that  there  is  an  under- 
ground climate  also,  and  that  it  is  scarcely  less  important  that 
this  should  be  adapted  to  the  roots  than  that  the  air  should 
be  tempered  to  the  foliage.  Water-logged  land  is  cold. 
The  sun  can  bake,  but  not  warm  it  to  any  extent.  Careful 
English  experiments  have  proved  that  well-drained  land  is 
from  10°  to  20°  warmer  than  wet  soils;  and  Mr.  Parkes 
has  shown,  in  his  "  Essay  on  the  Philosophy  of  Drainage," 
that  in  "  draining  the  <  Red  Moss '  the  thermometer  in  the 
drained  land  rose  in  June  to  66°  at  seven  inches  below  the 
surface,  while  in  the  neighboring  water-logged  land  it  would 
never  rise  above  47°,  —  an  enormous  gain." 

In  his  prize  essay  on  drainage,  Dr.  Madden  confirms  the 
above,  and  explains  further,  as  follows  :  "  An  excess  of  water 
injures  the  soil  by  diminishing  its  temperature  in  summer 
and  increasing  it  in  winter,  —  a  transformation  of  nature 
most  hurtful  to  perennials,  because  the  vigor  of  a  plant  in 
spring  depends  greatly  on  the  lowness  of  temperature  to 
which  it  has  been  subjected  during  the  whiter  (within  cer- 
D— ROE— XVII 


78  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

tain  limits,  of  course),  as  the  difference  of  temperature  be- 
tween winter  and  spring  is  the  exciting  cause  of  the  ascent 
of  the  sap."  In  other  words,  too  much  water  in  the  soil 
may  cause  no  marked  difference  between  the  underground 
climate  of  winter  and  spring. 

Dr.  Madden  shows,  moreover,  that  excess  of  water  keeps 
out  the  air  essential  not  only  in  promoting  chemical  changes 
in  the  soil  itself  and  required  by  the  plants,  but  also  the  air 
which  is  directly  needed  by  the  roots.  Sir  H.  Davy  and 
others  have  proved  that  oxygen  and  carbonic  acid  are  ab- 
sorbed by  the  roots  as  well  as  by  the  foliage,  and  these 
gases  can  be  brought  to  them  by  the  air  only. 

Again,  drainage  alters  the  currents  which  occur  in  wet 
soil.  In  undrained  land,  evaporation  is  constantly  bringing 
up  to  the  roots  the  sour,  exhausted  water  of  the  subsoil, 
which  is  an  injury  rather  than  a  benefit.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  rain  just  fallen  passes  freely  through  a  drained 
soil,  carrying  directly  to  the  roots  fresh  air  and  stimulating 
gases. 

Wet  land  also  produces  conditions  which  disable  the  foli- 
age of  plants  from  absorbing  carbonic  acid,  thus  greatly 
decreasing  its  atmospheric  supply  of  food.  Other  reasons 
might  be  given,  but  the  reader  who  is  not  satisfied  had 
better  set  out  an  acre  of  strawberries  on  water-logged  land. 
His  empty  pocket  will  out-argue  all  the  books. 

The  construction  of  drains  may  be  essential,  for  three 
causes :  ist.  Land  that  is  dry  enough  naturally  may  lie  so 
as  to  collect  and  hold  surface  water,  which,  accumulating 
with  every  rain  and  snow  storm,  at  last  renders  the  soil  sour 
and  unproductive,  zd.  Comparatively  level  land,  and  even 
steep  hillsides,  may  be  so  full  of  springs  as  to  render  drains 
at  short  intervals  necessary.  3d.  Streams,  flowing  perhaps 
from  distant  sources,  may  find  their  natural  channel  across 


PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE.          79 

our  grounds.  If  these  channels  are  obstructed  or  inade- 
quate, we  find  our  land  falling  into  the  ways  of  an  old 
soaker. 

It  should  here  be  stated,  however,  that  if  we  could  cause 
streams  to  overflow  our  land  in  a  shallow,  sluggish  current, 
so  that  a  sediment  would  be  left  on  the  surface  after  a 
speedy  subsidence,  the  result  would  be  in  miniature  like  the 
overflow  of  the  Nile  in  Egypt,  most  beneficial,  that  is,  if 
means  for  thorough  subsequent  drainage  was  provided. 

If  there  is  an  abundance  of  stone  on  one's  place  suitable 
for  the  construction  of  drains,  they  can  often  be  used  to  ad- 
vantage, as  I  shall  show;  but  for  all  ordinary  purposes  of 
drainage,  round  tile  with  collars  are  now  recommended  by 
the  best  authorities.  It  is  said  that  they  are  cheaper  than 
stone,  even  where  the  latter  is  right  at  hand ;  and  the  claim 
is  reasonable,  since,  instead  of  the  wide  ditch  required  by 
stone,  a  narrow  cut  will  suffice  for  tile ;  thus  a  great  saving 
is  at  once  effected  in  the  cost  of  digging.  Tile  also  can  be 
laid  rapidly,  and  is  not  liable  to  become  obstructed  if  prop- 
erly protected  at  points  of  discharge  by  gratings,  so  that 
vermin  cannot  enter.  They  should  not  be  laid  near  willow, 
elm,  and  other  trees  of  like  character,  or  else  the  fibrous 
roots  will  penetrate  and  fill  the  channel.  If  one  has  a  large 
problem  of  drainage  to  solve,  he  should  carefully  read  a 
work  like  Geo.  E.  Waring's  "  Draining  for  Profit  and  for 
Health ; "  and  if  the  slope  or  fall  of  some  fields  is  very 
slight,  say  scarcely  one  foot  in  a  hundred,  the  services  of  an 
engineer  should  be  employed,  and  accurate  grades  obtained. 
By  a  well-planned  system,  the  cost  of  draining  a  place  can 
be  greatly  reduced,  and  the  water  made  very  useful. 

On  my  place  at  Cornwall  I  found  three  acres  of  wet  land, 
each  in  turn  illustrating  one  of  the  causes  which  make 
drainage  necessary.  I  used  stone,  because,  in  some  in- 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 


stances,  no  other  ma- 
terial would  have  an- 
swered, in  others  partly 
because  I  was  a  novice 
in  the  science  of  drain- 
age, and  partly  because 
I  had  the  stones  on 
my  place,  and  did  not 
know  what  else  to  do 
with  them.  I  certainly 
could  not  cart  them  on 
my  neighbors'  ground 
without  having  a  sur- 
1  plus  of  hot  as  well  as 
cold  water,  so  I  con- 
cluded to  bury  them  in 
the  old-fashioned  box- 
drains.  Indeed,  I 
found  rather  peculiar 
and  difficult  problems 
of  drainage,  and.  the 
history  of  their  solution 
may  contain  useful 
hints  to  the  reader. 

In  front  of  my  house 
there  is  a  low,  level 
plot  of  land,  containing 
about  three  acres. 
Upon  this  the  surface 
water  ran  from  all  sides, 
and  there  was  no  outlet. 
The  soil  was,  in  consequence,  sour,  and  in  certain  spots  only 
a  wiry  marsh  grass  would  grow.  And  yet  it  required  but  a 


PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE.          8 1 

glance  to  see  that  a  drain,  which  could  carry  off  this  surface 
water  immediately,  would  render  it  the  best  land  on  the 
place.  I  tried,  in  vain,  the  experiment  of  digging  a  deep, 
wide  ditch  across  the  entire  tract,  in  hopes  of  finding  a 
porous  subsoil.  Then  I  excavated  great,  deep  holes,  but 
came  to  a  blue  clay  that  held  water  like  rubber.  The 
porous  subsoil,  in  which  I  knew  the  region  abounded,  and 
which  makes  Cornwall  exceptionally  free  from  all  miasmatic 
troubles,  eluded  our  spades  like  hidden  treasures.  I  event- 
ually found  that  I  must  obtain  permission  of  a  neighbor  to 
carry  a  drain  across  another  farm  to  the  mountain  stream 
that  empties  into  the  Hudson  at  Cornwall  Landing.  The 
covered  drain  through  the  adjoining  place  was  deep  and 
expensive,  but  the  ditch  across  my  land  (marked  A  on  the 
map)  is  a  small  one,  walled  with  stone  on  either  side.  It 
answers  my  purpose,  however,  giving  me  as  good  strawberry 
land  as  I  could  wish.  On  both  sides  of  this  open  ditch, 
and  at  right  angles  with  it,  I  had  the  ground  plowed  up 
into  beds  130  feet  long  by  21  wide.  The  shallow  depres- 
sions between  these  beds  slope  gently  toward  the  ditch, 
and  thus,  after  every  storm,  the  surface  water,  which  for- 
merly often  covered  the  entire  area,  is  at  once  carried  away. 
I  think  my  simple,  shallow,  open  drain  is  better  than  tile 
in  this  instance. 

As  may  be  seen  from  the  map,  my  farm  is  peculiar  in  out- 
line, and  resembles  an  extended  city  lot,  being  2,550  feet 
long,  and  only  410  wide. 

The  house,  as  shown  by  the  engraving,  stands  on  quite 
an  elevation,  in  the  rear  of  which  the  land  descends  into 
another  swale  or  basin.  The  drainage  of  this  presented  a 
still  more  difficult  problem.  Not  only  did  the  surface  water 
run  into  it,  but  in  moist  seasons  the  ground  was  full  of 
springs.  The  serious  feature  of  the  case  was  that  there 

6 


82  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

seemed  to  be  no  available  outlet  in  any  direction.  Unlike 
the  mellow,  sandy  loam  in  front  of  the  house,  the  swale  in 
the  rear  was  of  the  stiffest  kind  of  clay, — just  the  soil  to  re- 
tain and  be  spoiled  by  water.  During  the  first  year  of  our 
residence  here  this  region  was  sometimes  a  pond,  some- 
times a  quagmire,  while  again,  under  the  summer  sun,  it 
baked  into  earthenware.  It  was  a  doubtful  question  whether 
this  stubborn  acre  could  be  subdued,  and  yet  its  heavy  clay 
gave  me  just  the  diversity  of  soil  I  needed.  Throughout  the 
high  gravelly  knoll  on  which  the  house  stands,  the  natural 
drainage  is  perfect,  and  a  sagacious  neighbor  suggested  that 
if  I  cut  a  ditch  across  the  clayey  swale  into  the  gravel 
of  the  knoll,  the  water  would  find  a  natural  outlet  and 
disappear. 

The  ditch  was  dug  eight  feet  wide  and  five  feet  deep,  for 
I  decided  to  utilize  the  surface  of  the  drain  as  a  road-bed. 
Passing  out  of  the  clay  and  hard-pan,  we  came  into  the 
gravel,  and  it  seemed  porous  enough  to  carry  off  a  fair-sized 
stream.  I  concluded  that  my  difficult  problem  had  found 
a  cheap  and  easy  solution,  and  to  make  assurance  doubly 
sure,  I  directed  the  men  to  dig  a  deep  pit  and  fill  it  with 
stones. 

When  they  had  gone  about  nine  feet  below  the  surface, 
I  happened  to  be  standing  on  the  brink  of  the  excavation 
watching  the  work.  A  laborer  struck  his  pick  into  the 
gravel,  when  a  stream  gushed  out  which  in  its  sudden  abun- 
dance suggested  that  which  flowed  in  the  wilderness  at  the 
stroke  of  Moses's  rod.  The  problem  was  now  complicated 
anew.  So  far  from  finding  an  outlet,  I  had  dug  a  well  which 
the  men  could  scarcely  bail  out  fast  enough  to  permit  of  its 
being  stoned  up. 

My  neighbors  remarked  that  my  wide  ditch  reminded 
them  of  the  Erie  canal,  and  my  wife  was  in  terror  lest  the 


PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE.          83 

children  should  be  drowned  in  it.  Now  something  had  to 
be  done,  and  I  called  in  the  services  of  Mr.  Caldwell,  city 
surveyor  of  Newburgh,  and  to  his  map  I  refer  the  reader  for 
a  clearer  understanding  of  my  tasks. 

Between  the  upper  and  lower  swales,  the  ridge  on  which 
the  house  stands  slopes  to  its  greatest  depression  along  its 
western  boundary,  and  I  was  shown  that  if  I  would  cut  deep 
enough,  the  open  drain  in  the  lower  swale  could  receive  and 
carry  off  the  water  from  the  upper  basin.  This  appeared  to 
be  the  only  resource,  but  with  my  limited  means  it  was  like 
a  ship- canal  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  The  old  de- 
vice of  emptying  my  drains  into  a  hole  that  practically  had 
no  bottom,  suggested  itself  to  me.  It  would  be  so  much 
easier  and  cheaper  that  I  resolved  once  more  to  try  it, 
though  with  hopes  naturally  dampened  by  my  last  moist 
experience.  I  directed  that  the  hole  (marked  B  on  the 
map)  should  be  oblong,  and  in  the  direct  line  of  the  ditch, 
so  that  if  it  failed  of  its  purpose  it  could  become  a  part  of 
the  drain.  Down  we  went  into  as  perfect  sand  and  gravel 
as  I  ever  saw,  and  the  deeper  we  dug  the  dryer  it  became. 
This  time,  in  wounding  old  "Mother  Earth,"  we  did  not  cut 
a  vein,  and  there  seemed  a  fair  prospect  of  our  creating  a 
new  one,  for  into  this  receptacle  I  decided  to  turn  my  lar- 
gest drain  .and  all  the  water  that  the  stubborn  acre  persisted 
in  keeping. 

I  therefore  had  a  "box-drain"  constructed  along  the  west- 
ern boundary  of  the  place  (marked  C)  until  it  reached  the 
lowest  spot  in  the  upper  swale.  This  drain  was  simply  and 
rapidly  constructed,  in  the  following  manner :  a  ditch  was 
first  dug  sufficiently  deep  and  wide,  and  with  a  fall  that  car- 
ried off  the  water  rapidly.  In  the  bottom  of  this  ditch  the 
men  built  two  roughly  faced  walls,  one  foot  high  and  eight 
inches  apart.  Comparatively  long,  flat  stones,  that  would 


&J.  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

reach  from  wall  to  wall,  were  easily  found,  and  thus  we  had 
a  covered  water-course,  eight  by  twelve  inches,  forming  the 
common  box-drain  that  will  usually  last  a  lifetime. 

The  openings  over  the  channel  were  carefully  "  chinked  '* 
in  with  small  stones  and  all  covered  with  inverted  sods,  shav- 
ings, leaves,  or  anything  that  prevented  the  loose  soil  from 
sifting  or  washing  down  into  the  water-course. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  box- drain  just  described,  a  sec- 
ond and  smaller  receptacle  was  dug  (marked  D),  and  from 
this  was  constructed  another  box-drain  (E),  six  inches 
square,  across  the  low  ground  to  the  end  of  the  canal  in 
which  we  had  found  the  well  (F).  This  would  not  only 
drain  a  portion  of  the  land  but  would  also  empty  the  big 
ditch  (G),  and  prevent  the  water  of  the  well  from  rising 
above  a  certain  point.  This  kind  of  stone-work  can  be 
done  rapidly ;  two  men  in  two  short  winter  days  built  thir- 
teen rods  with  a  water-course  six  inches  in  the  clear. 

To  the  upper  and  further  end  of  the  canal  (G),  I  con- 
structed another  and  cheaper  style  of  drain.  In  the  bot- 
tom of  this  ditch  (H),  two  stones  were  placed  on  their  ends 
or  edges  and  leaned  together  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  arch, 
and  then  other  stones  were  thrown  over  and  around  them 
until  they  reached  a  point  eighteen  inches  from  the  surface. 
Over  these  stones,  as  over  the  box-drains  also,  was  placed  a 
covering  of  any  coarse  litter  to  keep  the  earth  from  washing 
down ;  and  then  the  construction  of  one  or  two  short  side- 
drains,  the  refilling  the  ditches  and  levelling  the  ground  com- 
pleted my  task. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  this  entire  system  of  drainage 
ended  in  the  excavation  (B)  already  described.  The  ques- 
tion was  now  whether  such  a  theory  of  drainage  would  "  hold 
water."  If  it  would,  the  hole  I  had  dug  must  not,  and  I 
waited  to  see.  It  promised  well.  Quite  a  steady  stream 


PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE.          85 

poured  into  it  and  disappeared.  By  and  by  there  came  a 
heavy  March  storm.  When  I  went  out  in  the  morning, 
everything  was  afloat.  The  big  canal  and  the  well  at  its 
lower  end  were  full  to  overflowing.  The  stubborn  acre  was 
a  quagmire,  and  alas  !  the  excavation  which  I  had  hoped 
would  save  so  much  trouble  and  expense  was  also  full.  I 
plodded  back  under  my  umbrella  with  a  brow  as  lowering 
as  the  sky.  There  seemed  nothing  for  it  but  to  cut  a 
"  Dutch  gap  "  that  would  make  a  like  chasm  in  my  bank 
account.  By  noon  it  cleared  off,  and  I  went  down  to  take 
a  melancholy  survey  of  the  huge  amount  of  work  that  now 
seemed  necessary,  when,  to  my  great  joy,  the  oblong  cut,  in 
which  so  many  hopes  had  seemingly  been  swamped,  was  en- 
tirely empty.  From  the  box-drain  a  large  stream  poured 
into  it  and  went  down  —  to  China,  for  all  that  I  knew.  I 
went  in  haste  to  the  big  canal  and  found  it  empty,  and  the 
well  lowered  to  the  mouth  of  the  drain.  The  stubborn  acre 
was  now  under  my  thumb,  and  I  have  kept  it  there  ever 
since.  During  the  past  summer,  I  had  upon  its  wettest  and 
stiffest  portion  two  beds  of  Jucunda  strawberries  that  yielded 
at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  bushels  to  the  acre. 
The  Jucunda  strawberry  is  especially  adapted  to  heavy  land 
requiring  drainage,  and  I  think  an  enterprising  man  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  might  so  unite  them  as  to  make  a  for- 
tune. The  hole  was  filled  with  stones  and  now  forms  a  part 
of  my  garden,  and  the  canal  answers  for  a  road-bed  as  at 
first  intended.  In  the  fortuitous  well  I  have  placed  a  force- 
pump,  around  which  are  grown  and  watered  my  potted 
plants.  The  theory  of  carrying  drains  into  gravel  does  hold 
water,  and  sometimes  holes  can  be  dug  at  a  slight  expense, 
that  practically  have  no  bottom.  I  have  no  doubt  that  in 
this  instance  tile  would  have  been  better  and  cheaper  than 
the  small  stone  drains  that  I  have  described. 


86  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

In  the  rear  of  my  place  there  was  a  third  drainage  prob- 
lem very  different  from  either  of  the  other  two.  My  farm 
runs  back  to  the  rise  of  the  mountain,  whose  edge  it  skirts 
for  some  distance.  It  thus  receives  at  times  much  surface 
water.  At  the  foot  of  the  mountain-slope,  there  are  about 
three  acres  of  low  alluvial  soil,  that  was  formerly  covered 
with  a  coarse,  useless  herbage  of  the  swamp.  Between  the 
meadow  and  the  slope  of  the  mountain,  "  the  town  "  built  a 
"boulevard"  (marked  I  I  on  the  map),  practically  "crib- 
bing "  an  acre  or  two  of  land.  Ahab,  who  needed  Naboth's 
vineyard  for  public  purposes,  is  the  spiritual  father  of  all 
"town  boards." 

At  the  extreme  end  of  the  farm,  and  just  beyond  the 
alluvial  ground,  was  the  channel  of  a  brook  (marked  J). 
Its  stony  bed,  through  which  trickled  a  rill,  had  a  very 
innocent  aspect  on  the  October  day  when  we  looked  the 
farm  over  and  decided  upon  its  purchase.  The  rill  ran  a 
little  way  on  my  grounds,  then  crept  under  the  fence  and 
skirted  my  western  boundary  for  several  hundred  yards. 
On  reaching  a  rise  of  land,  it  re-entered  my  place  and  ran 
obliquely  across  it.  It  thus  enclosed  three  sides  of  the  low, 
bushy  meadow  I  have  named.  Its  lower  channel  across  the 
place  had  been  stoned  up  with  the  evident  purpose  of  keep- 
ing it  within  limits ;  but  the  three  or  four  feet  of  space 
between  the  walls  had  become  obstructed  by  roots,  bushes, 
vines  and  debris  in  general.  With  the  exception  of  the 
stony  bed  where  it  first  entered  the  farm,  most  of  its  course 
was  obscured  by  overhanging  bushes  and  the  sere,  rank 
herbage  of  autumn. 

In  a  vague  way  I  felt  that  eventually  something  would 
have  to  be  done  to  direct  this  little  child  of  the  mountain 
into  proper  ways,  and  to  subdue  the  spirit  of  the  wilderness 
that  it  diffused  on  every  side.  I  had  its  lower  channel 


PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE.          8/ 

across  the  place  (K  K)  cleared  out,  thinking  that  this 
might  answer  for  the  present ;  and  the  gurgle  of  the  little 
streamlet  along  the  bottom  of  the  ditch  seemed  a  low  laugh 
at  the  idea  of  its  ever  filling  the  three  square  feet  of  space 
above  it.  Deceitful  little  brook  !  Its  innocent  babble  con- 
tained no  suggestion  of  its  hoarse  roar  on  a  March  day,  the 
following  spring,  as  it  tore  its  way  along,  scooping  the 
stones  and  gravel  from  its  upper  bed  and  scattering  them 
far  and  wide  over  the  alluvial  meadow.  Instead  of  a  tiny 
rill,  I  found  that  I  would  have  to  cope  at  times  with  a 
mountain  torrent.  At  first,  the  task  was  too  heavy,  and  the 
fitful-tempered  brook,  and  the  swamp-like  region  it  encom- 
passed, were  left  for  years  to  their  old  wild  instincts.  At 
last  the  increasing  demands  of  my  business  made  it  neces- 
sary to  have  more  arable  land,  and  I  saw  that,  if  I  could 
keep  it  from  being  overwhelmed  with  water  and  gravel,  the 
alluvial  meadow  was  just  the  place  for  strawberries. 

I  commenced  at  the  lowest  point  where  it  finally  leaves 
my  grounds,  and  dug  a  canal  (K  K),  twelve  feet  wide  by 
four  or  five  deep,  across  my  place,  stoning  up  its  walls  on 
either  side.  An  immense  amount  of  earth  and  gravel  was 
thrown  on  the  lower  side  so  as  to  form  a  high,  strong  embank- 
ment in  addition  to  the  channel.  Then,  where  it  entered  the 
farm  above  the  meadow,  I  had  a  wide,  deep  ditch  excavated 
throwing  all  the  debris  between  it  and  the  land  I  wished  to 
shield.  Throughout  the  low  meadow,  two  covered  box- 
drains  (L  and  M)  were  constructed  so  that  the  plow  could 
pass  over  them.  On  the  side  of  the  meadow  next  to 
the  boulevard  and  mountain,  I  had  an  open  drain  (N  N) 
dug  and  filled  with  stones  even  with  the  ground.  It  was 
designed  to  catch  and  carry  off  the  surface  water,  merely, 
from  the  long  extent  of  mountain-slope  that  it  skirted. 
The  system  of  ditches  to  protect  and  drain  the  partial 


88  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

swamp,  and  also  to  manage  the  deceitful  brook,  was  now 
finished,  and  I  waited  for  the  results.  During  much  of  the 
summer  there  was  not  a  drop  of  water  in  the  wide  canal, 
save  where  a  living  spring  trickled  into  it.  The  ordinary  fall 
rains  could  scarcely  more  than  cover  the  broad,  pebbly 
bottom,  and  the  unsophisticated  laughed  and  said  that  I 
reminded  them  of  the  general  who  trained  a  forty-pound 
gun  on  a  belligerent  mouse.  I  remembered  what  I  had 
seen,  and  bided  my  time. 

But  I  did  not  have  to  wait  till  March.  One  November 
day  it  began  to  rain,  and  it  kept  on.  All  the  following  night 
there  was  a  steady  rush  and  roar  of  falling  water.  It  was 
no  ordinary  pattering,  but  a  gusty  outpouring  from  the 
"windows  of  heaven."  The  two  swales  in  the  front  and 
rear  of  the  house  became  great  muddy  ponds,  tawny  as  the 
"yellow  Tiber,"  and  through  intervals  of  the  storm  came 
the  sullen  roar  of  the  little  brook  that  had  been  purring  like 
a  kitten  all  summer.  Toward  night,  Nature  grew  breath- 
less and  exhausted ;  there  were  sobbing  gusts  of  wind  and 
sudden  gushes  of  rain,  that  grew  less  and  less  frequent.  It 
was  evident  she  would  become  quiet  in  the  night  and  quite 
serene  after  her  long,  tempestuous  mood. 

As  the  sun  was  setting  I  ventured  out  with  much  mis- 
giving. The  deepening  roar  as  I  went  down  the  lane 
increased  my  -fears,  but  I  was  fairly  appalled  by  the  wild 
torrent  that  cut  off  all  approach  to  the  bridge.  The  water 
had  not  only  filled  the  wide  canal,  but  also,  at  a  point  a 
little  above  the  bridge,  had  broken  over  and  washed  away 
the  high  embankment.  I  skirted  along  the  tide  until  I 
reached  the  part  of  the  bank  that  still  remained  intact,  and 
there  beneath  my  feet  rushed  a  flood  that  would  have  in- 
stantly swept  away  horse  and  rider.  Indeed,  quite  a  large 
tree  had  been  torn  up  by  its  roots,  and  carried  down  until  it 


PREPARATION  OF  SOIL  BY  DRAINAGE.          89 

caught  in  the  bridge,  which  would  also  have  gone  had  not 
the  embankment  above  it  given  way. 

The  lower  part  of  the  meadow  was  also  under  water.  It 
had  been  plowed,  and  therefore  would  wash  readily. 
Would  any  soil  be  left  ?  A  few  moments  of  calm  reflection, 
however,  removed  my  fears.  The  treacherous  brook  had 
not  beguiled  me  during  the  summer  into  inadequate  provis- 
ion for  this  unprecedented  outbreak.  I  saw  that  my  deep, 
wide  cut  had  kept  the  flood  wholly  from  the  upper  part  of 
the  meadow,  which  contained  a  very  valuable  bed  of  high- 
priced  strawberry-plants,  and  that  the  slowly  moving  tide 
which  covered  the  lower  part  was  little  more  than  back- 
water and  overflow.  The  wide  ditches  were  carrying  off 
swiftly  and  harmlessly  the  great  volume  that,  had  not  such 
channels  been  provided,  would  have  made  my  rich  alluvial 
meadow  little  else  than  a  stony,  gravelly  waste.  And  the 
embankment  had  given  way  at  a  point  too  low  down  to 
permit  much  damage. 

The  two  swales  in  the  front  and  rear  of  the  house  appeared 
like  mill-ponds.  In  the  former  instance,  the  water  had 
backed  up  from  the  mountain  stream  into  which  my  cram 
emptied,  and,  therefore,  it  could  not  pass  off;  and  in  the 
latter  instance  I  could  scarcely  expect  my  little  under- 
ground channel  to  dispose  at  once  of  the  torrents  that  for 
forty  hours  had  poured  from  the  skies.  I  must  give  it  at 
least  a  night  in  which  to  catch  up.  And  a  busy  night  it  put 
in,  for  by  morning  it  had  conveyed  to  depths  unknown  the 
the  wide,  discolored  pond,  that  otherwise  would  have  smoth- 
ered the  plants  it  covered.  As  soon,  also,  as  the  mountain 
stream  fell  below  the  mouth  of  the  lower  drain,  it  emptied  at 
once  the  water  resting  on  the  lower  swale.  Throughout  the 
day  came  successive  tales  of  havoc  and  disaster,  of  dams 
scooped  out,  bridges  swept  away,  roads  washed  into  stony 


90  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

gulches,  and  fields  and  gardens  overwhelmed  with  debris. 
The  Idlewild  brook,  that  the  poet  Willis  made  so  famous, 
seemed  almost  demoniac  in  its  power  and  fury.  Not  con- 
tent with  washing  away  dams,  roads,  and  bridges,  it  swept  a 
heavy  wall  across  a  field  as  if  the  stones  were  pebbles. 

My  three  diverse  systems  of  drainage  had  thus  practically 
stood  the  severest  test,  perhaps,  that  will  ever  be  put  upon 
them,  and  my  grounds  had  not  been  damaged  to  any  extent 
worth  naming.  The  cost  had  been  considerable,  but  the 
injury  caused  by  that  one  storm  would  have  amounted  to  a 
larger  sum  had  there  been  no  other  channels  for  the  water 
than  those  provided  by  nature. 

My  readers  will  find,  in  many  instances,  that  they  have 
land  which  must  be  or  may  be  drained.  If  it  can  be  done 
sufficiently,  the  very  ideal  strawberry  soil  may  be  secured, — 
moist  and  deep,  but  not  wet. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE  PREPARATION  OF    SOILS    COMPARATIVELY  UNFAVORABLE  — 
CLAY,    SAND,   ETC. 

T  X  7E  have  now  reached  a  point  at  which  we  must  con- 
*  *  sider  land  which  in  its  essential  character  is  unfavor- 
able to  strawberries,  and  yet  which  may  be  the  best  to  be 
had.  The  difficulties  here  are  not  merely  accidental  or 
remediable,  such  as  lack  of  depth  or  fertility,  the  presence 
of  stones  or  stumps,  undue  wetness  of  soil,  etc.  Any  or  all 
of  these  obstacles  may  be  found,  but  in  addition  there  are 
evils  inseparable  from  the  soil,  and  which  cannot  be  wholly 
eradicated.  The  best  we  can  hope  hi  such  a  case  is  to 
make  up  by  art  what  is  lacking  in  nature. 

This  divergence  from  the  deep,  moist  sandy  loam,  the 
ideal  strawberry  land,  is  usually  toward  a  stiff,  cold,  stubborn 
clay,  or  toward  a  droughty,  leachy  sand  that  retains  neither 
fertility  nor  moisture.  Of  course,  these  opposite  soils  re- 
quire in  most  respects  different  treatment. 

We  will  consider  first  the  less  objectionable,  that  is,  the 
heavy  clay.  To  call  clay  more  favorable  for  strawberries 
than  sandy  land  may  seem  like  heresy  to  many,  for  it  is  a 
popular  impression  that  light  soils  are  the  best.  Experi- 
ence and  observation  have,  however,  convinced  me  of  the 
contrary.  With  the  clay  you  have  a  stable  foundation. 
Your  progress  may  be  slow,  but  it  can  be  made  sure.  The 
character  of  a  sandy  foundation  was  taught  centuries  ago. 
Moreover,  all  the  fine  foreign-blooded  varieties,  as  well  as 


92  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

our  best  native  ones,  grow  far  better  on  heavy  land,  and  a 
soil  largely  mixed  with  clay  gives  a  wider  range  in  the  choice 
of  varieties. 

If  I  had  my  choice  between  a  farm  of  cold,  stiff  clay  or 
light,  leachy  land,  I  would  unhesitatingly  take  the  former, 
and  I  would  overcome  its  native  unfitness  by  the  following 
methods :  If  at  all  inclined  to  be  wet,  as  would  be  natural 
from  its  tenacious  texture,  I  should  first  underdrain  it 
thoroughly  with  tile.  Then,  if  I  found  a  fair  amount  of 
vegetable  matter,  I  would  give  it  a  dressing  of  air-slaked 
lime,  and  plow  it  deeply  late  in  the  fall,  leaving  it  unhar- 
rowed  so  as  to  expose  as  much  of  the  soil  as  possible  to  the 
action  of  frost.  Early  in  the  spring,  as  soon  as  the  ground 
was  dry  enough  to  work  and  all  danger  of  frost  was  over,  I 
would  harrow  in  buckwheat  and  plow  it  under  as  it  came 
into  blossom ;  then  sow  a  second  crop  and  plow  that  under 
also.  It  is  the  characteristic  of  buckwheat  to  lighten  and 
clean  land,  and  the  reader  perceives  that  it  should  be  our 
constant  aim  to  impart  lightness  and  life  to  the  heavy  soil. 
Lime,  in  addition  to  its  fertilizing  effects,  acts  chemically 
on  the  ground,  producing  the  desired  effect.  It  may  be 
objected  that  lime  is  not  good  for  strawberries.  That  is 
true  if  crude  lime  is  applied  directly  to  the  plants,  as  we 
would  ashes  or  bone-dust ;  but  when  it  is  mixed  with  the 
soil  for  months,  it  is  so  neutralized  as  to  be  helpful,  and  in 
the  meantime  its  action  on  the  soil  itself  is  of  great  value. 
It  must  be  used  for  strawberries,  however,  in  more  limited 
quantities  than  for  many  other  crops,  or  else  more  time  must 
be  given  for  it  to  become  incorporated  with  the  soil. 

The  coarse  green  straw  of  the  buckwheat  is  useful  by  its 
mechanical  division  of  the  heavy  land,  while  at  the  same 
time  its  decomposition  fills  the  soil  with  ammonia  and  other 
gases  vitally  necessary  to  the  plant.  A  clay  soil  retains 


CLAY,  SAND,  ETC.  93 

these  gases  with  little  waste.  It  is  thus  capable  of  being 
enriched  to  almost  any  extent,  and  can  be  made  a  store- 
house of  wealth. 

Where  it  can  be  procured,  there  is  no  better  fertilizer  for 
clay  land  than  the  product  of  the  horse- stable,  which,  as  a 
rule,  can  be  plowed  under  in  its  raw,  unfermented  state,  its 
heat  and  action  in  decay  producing  the  best  results.  Of 
course,  judgment  and  moderation  must  be  employed.  The 
roots  of  a  young,  growing  plant  cannot  feed  in  a  mass  of 
fermenting  manure,  no  matter  what  the  soil  may  be.  The 
point  I  wish  to  make  is  that  cold,  heavy  land  is  greatly 
benefited  by  having  these  heating,  gas-producing  processes 
take  place  beneath  its  surface.  After  they  are  over,  the  tall, 
rank  foliage  and  enormous  fruit  of  the  Jucunda  strawberry 
(a  variety  that  can  scarcely  grow  at  all  in  sand)  will  show 
the  capabilities  of  clay. 

Heavy  land  is  the  favorite  home  of  the  grasses,  and  is 
usually  covered  with  a  thick,  tenacious  sod.  This,  of  course, 
must  be  thoroughly  subdued  before  strawberries  are  planted, 
or  else  you  will  have  a  hay-field  in  spite  of  all  you  can  do. 
The  decay  of  this  mass  of  roots,  however,  furnishes  just  the 
food  required,  and  a  crop  of  buckwheat  greatly  hastens 
decomposition,  and  adds  its  own  bulk  and  fertility  when 
plowed  under.  I  think  it  will  scarcely  ever  pay  to  plant 
strawberries  directly  on  the  sod  of  heavy  land. 

While  buckwheat  is  a  good  green  crop  to  plow  under,  if 
the  cultivator  can  wait  for  the  more  slowly  maturing  red-top 
clover,  he  will  find  it  far  better,  both  to  enrich  and  to 
lighten  up  his  heavy  soil ;  for  it  is  justly  regarded  as  the 
best  means  of  imparting  the  mellowness  and  friability  in 
which  the  roots  of  strawberries  as  well  as  all  other  plants 
luxuriate. 

There  are,  no  doubt,  soils  fit  for  bricks  and  piping  only, 


94  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

but  in  most  instances,  by  a  judicious  use  of  the  means  sug- 
gested, they  can  be  made  to  produce  heavy  and  long- 
continued  crops  of  the  largest  fruit. 

These  same  principles  apply  to  the  small  garden-plot  as 
well  as  to  the  acre.  Instead  of  carting  off  weeds,  old  pea- 
vines,  etc.,  dig  them  under  evenly  over  the  entire  space, 
when  possible.  Enrich  with  warm,  light  fertilizers,  and  if 
a  good  heavy  coat  of  hot  strawy  manure  is  trenched  in  the 
heaviest,  stickiest  clay,  in  October  or  November,  straw- 
berries or  anything  else  can  be  planted  the  following  spring. 
The  gardener  who  thus  expends  a  little  thought  and  far- 
sighted  labor  will  at  last  secure  results  that  will  surpass  his 
most  sanguine  hopes,  and  that,  too,  from  land  that  would 
otherwise  be  as  hard  as  Pharaoh's  heart. 

Before  passing  from  this  soil  to  that  of  an  opposite  char- 
acter, let  me  add  a  few  words  of  caution.  Clay  land  should 
never  be  stirred  when  either  very  wet  or  very  dry,  or  else  a 
lumpy  condition  results  that  injures  it  for  years.  It  should 
be  plowed  or  dug  only  when  it  crumbles.  When  the  soil 
is  sticky,  or  turns  up  in  great  hard  lumps,  let  it  alone.  The 
more  haste  the  worst  speed. 

Again,  the  practice  of  fall  plowing,  so  very  beneficial  in 
latitudes  where  frosts  are  severe  and  long  continued,  is  just 
the  reverse  in  the  far  South.  There  our  snow  is  rain,  and 
the  upturned  furrows  are  washed  down  into 'a  smooth,  sticky 
mass  by  the  winter  storms.  On  steep  hillsides,  much  of  the 
soil  would  ooze  away  with  every  rain,  or  slide  down  hill  en 
masse.  In  the  South,  therefore,  unless  a  clay  soil  is  to  be 
planted  at  once,  it  must  not  be  disturbed  in  the  fall,  and  it 
is  well  if  it  can  be  protected  by  stubble  or  litter,  which 
shields  it  from  the  direct  contact  of  the  rain  and  from  the 
sun's  rays.  But  cow-peas,  or  any  other  rank-growing  green 
crop  adapted  to  the  locality,  is  as  useful  to  Southern  clay  as 


CLAY,  SAND,  ETC.  95 

to  Northern,  and  Southern  fields  might  be  enriched  rapidly, 
since  their  long  season  permits  of  plowing  under  several 
growths. 

Lime  and  potash  in  their  various  forms,  in  connection 
with  green  crops,  would  give  permanent  fertility  to  every 
heavy  acre  of  Southern  land.  In  my  judgment,  however, 
barn-yard  manure  is  not  surpassed  in  value  by  any  other 
in  any  latitude.  If  one  owned  clay  land  from  which  he 
could  not  secure  good  crops  after  the  preparation  that  has 
been  suggested,  he  had  better  either  turn  it  into  a  brick-yard 
or  emigrate. 

Sandy  Ground.  —  Suppose  that,  in  contrast,  our  soil  is  a 
light  sand.  In  this  case  the  question  of  cultivation  is 
greatly  simplified,  but  the  problem  of  obtaining  a  heavy 
crop  is  correspondingly  difficult.  The  plow  and  the  culti- 
vator run  readily  enough,  and  much  less  labor  is  required 
to  keep  the  weeds  in  subjection,  but  as  a  rule,  light  land 
yields  little  fruit ;  and  yet  under  favorable  circumstances  I 
have  seen  magnificent  crops  of  certain  varieties  growing  on 
sand.  If  sufficient  moisture  and  fertility  can  be  maintained, 
many  of  our  best  varieties  will  thrive  and  produce  abun- 
dantly ;  but  to  do  this  is  the  very  pith  of  our  difficulty.  Too 
often  a  sandy  soil  will  not  retain  moisture  and  manure. 
Such  light  land  is  generally  very  deficient  in  vegetable 
matter ;  and  therefore,  whenever  it  is  possible,  I  would  turn 
under  green  crops.  If  the  soil  could  be  made  sufficiently 
fertile  to  produce  a  heavy  crop  of  clover,  and  •  this  were 
plowed  under  in  June,  and  then  buckwheat  harrowed  in  and 
its  rank  growth  turned  under  in  August,  strawberries  could 
be  planted  as  soon  as  the  heat  of  decay  was  over,  with  ex- 
cellent prospects  of  fine  crops  for  the  three  succeeding 
years.  Did  I  propose  to  keep  the  land  in  strawberries,  I 
would  then  give  it  another  year  of  clover  and  buckwheat^ 


96  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

adding  bone-dust,  potash,  and  a  very  little  lime  in  some 
form.  The  green  crop,  when  decayed,  is  lighter  than  clay, 
and  renders  its  tenacious  texture  more  friable  and  porous ; 
it  also  benefits  the  sandy  soil  by  supplying  the  absent  hu- 
mus, or  vegetable  mold,  which  is  essential  to  all  plant  life. 
This  mold  is  also  cool  and  humid  in  its  nature,  and  aids  in 
retaining  moisture. 

With  the  exception  of  the  constant  effort  to  place  green 
vegetable  matter  under  the  surface,  my  treatment  of  sandy 
ground  would  be  the  reverse  of  that  described  for  clay. 
Before  using  the  product  of  the  horse-stable,  I  would  com- 
post it  with  at  least  an  equal  bulk  of  leaves,  muck,  sods,  or 
even  plain  earth  if  nothing  better  could  be  found.  A  com- 
post of  stable  manure  with  clay  would  be  most  excellent. 
If  possible,  I  would  not  use  any  manure  on  light  ground 
until  all  fermentation  was  over,  and  then  I  would  rather 
harrow  than  plow  it  in.  This  will  leave  it  near  the  surface, 
and  the  rains  will  leach  it  down  to  the  roots  —  and  below 
them,  also  —  only  too  soon.  Fertility  cannot  be  stored  up 
in  sand  as  in  clay,  and  it  should  be  our  aim  to  give  our 
strawberries  the  food  they  need  in  a  form  that  permits  of 
its  immediate  use.  Therefore,  in  preparing  such  land,  I 
would  advise  deep  plowing  while  it  is  moist,  if  possible,  soon 
after  a  rain ;  then  the  harrowing  in  of  a  liberal  topdressing 
of  rotted  compost,  or  of  muck  sweetened  by  the  action  of 
frost  and  the  fermentation  of  manure,  or,  best  of  all,  the 
product  of  the  cow-stable.  Decayed  leaves,  sods,  and  wood- 
ashes  also  make  excellent  fertilizers. 

In  the  garden,  light  soils  can  be  given  a  much  more  sta- 
ble and  productive  character  by  covering  them  with  clay  to 
the  depth  of  one  or  two  inches  every  fall,  and  then  plowing 
it  in.  The  winter's  frost  and  rains  mix  the  two  diverse  soils, 
to  their  mutual  benefit.  Carting  sand  on  clay  is  rarely  re- 


CLAY,  SAND,  ETC.  97 

jnunerative ;  the  reverse  is  decidedly  so,  and  top-dressings 
of  clay  on  light  land  are  often  more  beneficial  than  equal 
amounts  of  manure. 

As  practically  employed,  I  regard  quick,  stimulating  ma- 
nures, like  guano,  very  injurious  to  light  soils.  I  believe 
them  to  be  the  curse  of  the  South.  They  are  used  "to 
make  a  crop,"  as  it  is  termed ;  and  they  do  make  it  for  a 
few  years,  but  to  the  utter  impoverishment  of  the  land. 
The  soil  becomes  as  exhausted  as  a  man  would  be  should 
he  seek  to  labor  under  the  support  of  stimulants  only.  In 
both  instances,  an  abundance  of  food  is  needed.  A  quinine 
pill  is  not  a  dinner,  and  a  dusting  of  guano  or  phosphate  can- 
not enrich  the  land. 

And  yet,  by  the  aid  of  these  stimulating  commercial  ferti- 
lizers, the  poorest  and  thinnest  soil  can  be  made  to  produce 
fine  strawberries,  if  sufficient  moisture  can  be  maintained. 
Just  as  a  physician  can  rally  an  exhausted  man  to  a  condi- 
tion in  which  he  can  take  and  be  strengthened  by  food,  so 
land,  too  poor  and  light  to  sprout  a  pea,  can  be  stimulated 
into  producing  a  meagre  green  crop  of  some  kind,  which, 
plowed  under,  will  enable  the  land  to  produce  a  second  and 
heavier  burden.  This,  in  turn,  placed  in  the  soil,  will  begin 
to  give  a  suggestion  of  fertility.  Thus,  poor  or  exhausted 
soils  can  be  made,  by  several  years  of  skilful  management, 
to  convalesce  slowly  into  strength. 

Whether  such  patient  outlay  of  time  and  labor  will  pay 
on  a  continent  abounding  in  land  naturally  productive,  is  a 
very  dubious  question. 

Coarse,  gravelly  soils  are  usually  even  worse.  If  we  must 
grow  our  strawberries  on  them,  give  the  same  general  treat- 
ment that  I  have  just  suggested. 

On  some  peat  soils  the  strawberry  thrives  abundantly; 
on  others  it  burns  and  dwindles.  Under  such  conditions  I 


98  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

should  experiment  with  bone-dust,  ashes,  etc.,  until  I  found 
just  what  was  lacking. 

No  written  directions  can  take  the  place  of  common- 
sense,  judgment,  and,  above  all,  experience.  Soils  vary  like 
individual  character.  I  have  yet  to  learn  of  a  system  of 
rules  that  will  teach  us  how  to  deal  with  every  man  we  meet. 
It  is  ever  wise,  however,  to  deal  justly  and  liberally.  He 
that  expects  much  from  his  land  must  give  it  much. 

I  have  dwelt  at  length  on  the  preparation  and  enrich- 
ment of  the  land,  since  it  is  the  corner-stone  of  all  subse- 
quent success.  Let  me  close  by  emphasizing  again  the 
principle  which  was  made  prominent  at  first.  Though  we 
give  our  strawberry  plants  everything  else  they  need,  our 
crop  of  fruit  will  yet  be  good  or  bad  in  the  proportion  that 
we  are  able  to  maintain  abundant  moisture  during  the  blos- 
soming and  fruiting  season.  If  provision  can  be  made  for 
irrigation,  it  may  increase  the  yield  tenfold. 


CHAPTER  X. 

COMMERCIAL  AND   SPECIAL    FERTILIZERS. 

TN  preparing  and  enriching  the  soil,  and  especially  in 
A  subsequent  cultivation,  concentrated  fertilizers  -are  very 
useful  and  often  essential.  In  dealing  with  this  subject, 
however,  I  think  we  tread  upon  uncertain  ground.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  apparent  accuracy  of  figures  and  analyses, 
carried  carefully  into  decimals,  but  a  wonderful  deal  of 
vagueness,  uncertainty,  and  contradiction  in  the  experiences 
and  minds  of  cultivators. 

It  is  well  known  that  many  commercial  fertilizers  are 
scandalously  adulterated,  and  those  who  have  suffered  from 
frauds  are  hostile  to  the  entire  class.  In  their  strong  prej- 
udice, they  will  neither  discriminate  nor  investigate.  There 
are  others  who  associate  everything  having  a  chemical  sound 
with  "  book  farming,"  and  therefore  dismiss  the  whole  sub- 
ject with  a  sniff  of  contempt.  This  clique  of  horticulturists 
is  rapidly  diminishing,  however,  for  the  fruit  grower  who 
does  not  read  is  like  the  lawyer  who  tries  to  practise  with 
barely  a  knowledge  of  the  few  laws  revealed  by  a  limited 
experience.  In  contrast,  there  are  others  who  read  and 
theorize  too  exclusively,  and  are  inclined  to  assert  that  con- 
centrated fertilizers  supersede  all  others.  They  scout  the 
muck  swamp,  the  compost  heap,  and  even  the  barnyard,  as 
old-fashioned,  cumbrous  methods  of  bringing  to  the  soil, 
in  tons  of  useless  matter,  the  essentials  which  they  can  de- 
liver in  a  few  sacks  or  barrels.  On  paper,  they  are  scientific 


100  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

and  accurate.  The  crop  you  wish  to  raise  has  constituents 
in  certain  proportions.  Supply  these,  they  say,  and  you 
have  the  chemical  compound,  or  crop.  A  field  or  garden, 
however,  is  not  a  sheet  of  blank  paper,  but  a  combination 
at  which  nature  has  been  at  work,  and  left  full  of  obscuri- 
ties. The  results  which  the  agricultural  chemist  predicted 
so  confidently  do  not  always  follow,  as  they  ought.  Nature 
is  often  very  indifferent  to  learned  authorities. 

There  is  yet  another  class — a  large  one,  too  —  who  re- 
gard these  fertilizers  as  they  do  the  drugs  of  an  apothecary. 
They  occasionally  give  their  land  a  dose  of  them  as  they 
take  medicine  themselves,  when  indisposed  or  imagining 
themselves  so.  In  either  case  there  is  almost  entire  igno- 
rance of  the  nature  of  the  compound  or  of  definite  reasons 
for  its  usefulness.  Both  the  man  and  the  field  were  "  run 
down,"  and  some  one  said  that  this,  that,  or  the  other  thing 
was  good.  Therefore  it  was  tried.  Such  hap-hazard  action  is 
certainly  not  the  surest  method  of  securing  health  or  fertility. 

In  no  other  department  of  horticulture  is  there  more 
room  for  common- sense,  accurate  knowledge,  skill,  and 
good  management,  than  in  the  use  of  all  kinds  of  fertili- 
zers, and,  in  my  judgment,  close  and  continued  observation 
is  worth  volumes  of  theory.  The  proper  enrichment  of  the 
soil  is  the  very  corner-stone  of  success,  and  more  fail  at  this 
point  than  at  any  other.  While  I  do  not  believe  that  accu- 
rate and  complete  directions  for  the  treatment  of  every  soil 
can  be  written,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  certain  correct 
principles  can  be  laid  down,  and  information,  suggestion, 
and  records  of  experience  given  which  will  be  very  useful. 
With  such  data  to  start  with,  the  intelligent  cultivator  can 
work  out  the  problem  of  success  in  the  peculiar  conditions 
of  his  own  farm  or  garden. 

It  must  be  true  that  land  designed  for  strawberries  re* 


COMMERCIAL  AND  SPECIAL  FERTILIZERS.     IOI 


quires  those  constituents  which  are  shown  to  compose  the 
plant  and  fruit,  and  that  the  presence  of  each  one  in  the 
soil  should  be  in  proportion  to  the  demand  for  it.  It  is 
also  equally  plain  that  the  supply  of  these  essential  elements 
should  be  kept  up  in  continued  cultivation.  Therefore,  the 
question  naturally  arises,  what  are  strawberry  plants  and 
fruit  made  of?  Modern  wine,  we  know,  can  be  made  with- 
out any  grape  juice  whatever,  but  as  Nature  compounds 
strawberries  in  the  open  sunlight,  instead  of  in  back  rooms 
and  cellars,  she  insists  on  all  the  proper  ingredients  before 
she  will  form  the  required  combination. 

"The  Country  Gentleman  "  gives  a  very  interesting  letter 
from  Prof.  S.  W.  Johnson,  of  the  Connecticut  Experiment 
Station,  containing  the  following  careful  analysis  made  by 
J.  Isidore  Pierre,  a  French  writer.  "  Pierre,"  says  the  pro- 
fessor, "  gives  a  statement  of  the  composition,  exclusive  of 
water,  of  the  total  yield  per  hectare  of  fruit,  taken  up  to 
June  30,  and  of  leaves,  stems  and  runners,  taken  up  to  the 
middle  of  August.  These  results,  calculated  in  pounds  per 
acre,  are  the  following  (the  plants  contained  62.3  per  cent 
of  water  and  the  fruit  90  per  cent)  :  — 

Composition  of  the  ivater-free  strawberry  crop  (except  roots), 
at  the  middle  of  August,  in  pounds  per  acre,  according 
to  Pierre  :  — 

Plants, 

Organic  matter,  exclusive  of  nitrogen  4268.4 

Nitrogen      ..........  88.5 

Silica,  iron  and  manganese  oxides     .  43.3 

Phosphoric  acid  ........  35.3 

Lime  ............  102.7 

Magnesia    ..........  16.1 

Potash    ...........  89.1 

Soda  .    .     ..........  6.4 

Other  matters      ........  120.9 

Dry  substance     ...... 


Fruits. 

Totals. 

1053.5 

5321-9 

1  6.0 

104.5 

1A\ 

48.6 

5-4 

40.7 

7-9 

1  10.6 

•7 

1  6.8 

19.7 

108.8 

•9 

7-3 

8.8 

129.7 

.....    4770.7 
B—  ROE—  XVII 


1 118.3    5888.9' 


IO2  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

These  are  the  constituents  that,  to  start  with,  must  be  in 
the  soil,  and  which  must  be  kept  there.  This  array  of  what 
to  many  are  but  obscure  chemicals  need  not  cause  misgiv- 
ings, since  in  most  instances  nature  has  stored  them  in  the 
virgin  soil  in  abundant  proportions.  Even  in  well-worn, 
long- cultivated  fields,  some  of  them  may  exist  in  sufficient 
quantity.  Therefore,  buying  a  special  fertilizer  is  often  like 
carrying  coals  to  Newcastle.  Useless  expenditure  may  be 
incurred,  also,  by  supplying  some,  but  not  all,  of  the  essen- 
tial ingredients.  A  farmer  applied  six  hundred  pounds  of 
superphosphate  to  a  plat  of  corn-land,  and  three  hundred 
pounds  to  an  adjacent  plat  wherein  the  conditions  were  the 
same.  The  yield  of  the  first  plat  was  scarcely  in  excess  of 
that  of  the  second,  and  in  neither  case  was  there  a  sufficient 
increase  to  repay  for  the  fertilizer.  It  does  not  follow  that 
the  man  used  an  adulterated  and  worthless  article.  Analy- 
sis shows  that  corn  needs  nitrogen  and  potash  in  large 
proportions ;  and  if  these  had  been  employed  with  the 
superphosphate,  the  result  probably  would  have  been  very 
different.  Superphosphate  contains  nitrogen,  but  not  in 
sufficient  degree.  These  considerations  bring  us  to  the 
sound  conclusion  that  in  enriching  our  land  it  would  be 
wise  to  use  complete  fertilizers  as  far  as  possible ;  that  is, 
manures  containing  all,  or  nearly  all,  the  essential  ingredi- 
ents of  the  strawberry  plant  and  fruit.  If  we  could  always 
know  just  what  elements  are  lacking  in  our  soils,  we  could 
merely  supply  these ;  but  frequent  analyses  are  expensive, 
and  often  misleading,  at  best.  The  safest  plan  is  always  to 
keep  within  reach  of  the  plants  the  food  we  know  they  re- 
quire, and  the  roots,  with  unerring  instinct,  will  attend  to 
the  proportions.  Hence  the  value  of  barn-yard  manure  in 
the  estimation  of  plain  common-sense.  A  sensible  writer 
has  clearly  shown  that  from  twenty- three  cows  and  five 


COMMERCIAL  AND  SPECIAL  FERTILIZERS.      103 

I»orses,  if  proper  absorbents  are  used,  $5.87  worth  of  nitro- 
gen, potash,  and  phosphoric  acid  can  be  obtained  every 
twenty-four  hours,  estimating  these  vitally  important  ele- 
ments of  plant-food  at  their  wholesale  valuation.  In  addi- 
tion, there  are  the  other  constituents  of  the  yard  manure 
which,  if  not  so  valuable,  are  still  very  useful.  To  permit 
the  waste  of  any  fertilizer  that  can  be  saved  or  made  upon 
our  places,  and  then  buy  the  same  thing  with  the  chance  of 
being  cheated,  is  thus  shown  to  be  wretched  economy. 
Commercial  fertilizers  can  never  supersede  the  compost 
heap,  into  which  should  go  everything  which  will  enable 
us  to  place  in  the  soil  organic  matter  and  the  other  ele- 
ments that  were  given  in  the  analysis ;  and  if  all  the  sewage 
and  waste  of  the  dwelling  and  the  products  of  the  stable, 
stys  and  poultry-house  were  well  composted  with  muck,  sod, 
leaves,  or  even  common  earth,  and  used  liberally,  magnifi- 
cent and  continued  crops  of  strawberries  could  be  raised 
from  nearly  all  soils. 

In  many  instances,  however,  home-made  composts  are 
wholly  inadequate  to  supply  the  need,  and  stable  manures 
are  too  costly  or  not  to  be  obtained.  The  fruit  grower 
should  then  go  to  those  manufacturers  of  fertilizers  who 
have  the  best  reputation,  and  who  give  the  best  guarantees 
against  deception.  There  are  perfectly  honest  dealers,  and 
it  is  by  far  the  cheapest  in  the  end  to  pay  them  their  price 
for  a  genuine  article.  If  such  concentrated  agents  are 
used  in  connection  with  a  green  crop  like  clover,  land  can 
be  made  and  kept  productive  continuously.  In  the  use  of 
commercial  fertilizers,  there  should  be  a  constant  and  in- 
telligent effort  to  keep  up  a  supply  of  all  the  essential  ingre- 
dients. Wood-ashes  is  a  specific  for  strawberries.  I  have 
never  found  any  one  thing  so  good,  and  yet  it  is  substan- 
tially but  one  thing,  potash,  and  I  should  remember  that 


104  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

the  plant  also  requires  nitrogen,  which  guano,  or  some  form 
of  animal  manure,  would  furnish ;  lime,  which  is  best  ap- 
plied to  the  strawberry  in  the  form  of  bone  meal,  etc.  The 
essential  phosphoric  acid  is  furnished  in  bone  meal,  the 
superphosphates,  and  also  in  wood-ashes.  By  referring  to 
an  analysis  of  the  ash  red  clover,  it  will  be  found  to  contain 
nearly  everything  that  the  strawberry  requires. 

The  man  who  reads,  observes,  and  experiments  carefully, 
will  find  that  he  can  accomplish  much  with  lime  and  salt. 
If  one  has  land  full  of  vegetable  or  organic  matter,  an  appli- 
cation of  lime  will  render  this  matter  fit  for  plant  food,  and 
the  lime  itself,  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  less,  will  be" 
rendered  harmless  in  the  process.  It  also  sweetens  and 
lightens  heavy,  sour  land,  and  thus,  in  time  renders  it  better 
adapted  to  the  strawberry ;  but  lime  should  not  be  applied 
directly,  in  any  considerable  quantity,  to  strawberry  plants, 
nor  should  it  be  used  on  very  light  soils  deficient  in  vegeta- 
ble matter.  The  judicious  use  of  salt  in  small  quantities 
will,  I  think,  prove  very  beneficial,  especially  on  light  upland. 
It  tends  to  prevent  injury  from  drought,  and  to  clear  the 
land  of  the  larvae  of  insects.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
much  can  be  accomplished  with  this  agent,  and  hope  to 
make  some  careful  experiments  with  it.  But  it  should  be 
used  very  cautiously,  or  it  will  check  or  destroy  growth. 

I  have  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  J.  H.  Hale,  of  South 
Glastonbury,  Conn.,  that  is  such  a  clear  and  interesting 
record  of  experience  on  this  subject  that  I  am  led  to  give 
it  almost  entire  :  — 

"  We  have  always  used  Peruvian  guano,  fish  scrap,  and 
ground  bone  to  some  extent,  but  until  the  past  five  years  have 
depended  mainly  upon  stable  manure  brought  from  New  York 
city  on  boats,  using  about  fifteen  cords  per  acre  yearly,  and 
always  with  satisfactory  results,  the  only  objection  being  the 


COMMERCIAL  AND  SPECIAL  FERTILIZERS,       1 05 

expense.  The  price  ranged  from  $8  to  $12  per  cord,  or  on  an 
average  of  $150  per  acre  ;  and  in  trying  to  reduce  this  expense 
we  commenced  testing  different  fertilizers,  planting,  in  1874, 
one  acre  of  strawberries  manured  with  two  tons  of  fish  scrap, 
at  $20  per  ton,  and  one  hundred  bushels  of  unleached  wood- 
ashes,  at  30  cents  per  bushel ;  making  a  total  cost  of  $70. 
The  result  was  a  strong,  rapid  growth  of  plants  early  in  the 
summer,  but  in  September  and  October  they  began  to  show 
signs  of  not  having  plant  food  enough,  and  then  we  saw  our 
mistake  in  using  fish  in  place  of  bone,  or  some  other  slow-act- 
ing fertilizer  that  the  plants  could  not  have  taken  up  so  greedily 
early  in  the  summer,  but  would  have  had  to  feed  on  slowly  all 
through  the  season.  The  fruit  crop  the  following  year,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  was  not  a  success,  being  only  about 
half  a  crop.  In  1875,  we  planted  another  acre,  using  one  ton 
of  ground  bone  and  one  hundred  bushels  of  wood-ashes,  at  a 
total  cost  of  $73 ;  the  result  was  a  fine,  even  growth  of  plants 
all  through  the  season,  and  a  perfect  crop  of  fruit  the  following 
year,  fully  equal  to  that  on  adjoining  acres  that  had  been  ma- 
nured with  stable  manure  at  a  cost  of  $150  per  acre,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  carting  of  such  a  great  bulk  of  manure.  In  the 
spring  of  1876,  being  so  well  pleased  with  the  appearance  of 
our  one  acre  manured  with  bone  and  ashes,  we  planned  to  fer- 
tilize all  of  our  fruits  in  the  same  way.  Then  the  question 
arose,  where  were  we  to  get  the  ashes  ?  We  could  buy  enough 
for  an  acre  or  two,  but  not  enough  for  our  whole  farm.  What 
were  we  to  do  ?  Potash  we  must  have,  as  that  is  the  leading 
element  of  plant  food  required  by  small  fruits  of  all  kinds.  We 
found  we  must  look  to  the  German  potash  salts  for  what  we 
wanted,  and  we  therefore  bought  several  tons  of  High  Grade 
(80  per  cent)  muriate  of  potash  at  $40  per  ton,  using  1,000 
pounds  per  acre,  and  one  ton  of  bone  at  $35,  making  a  total 
cost  of  only  $55  per  acre.  The  plants  did  not  grow  quite  as 
well  early  in  the  season  as  those  on  the  fields  where  ashes  were 
used,  but  later  in  the  season  they  made  a  very  fine  growth,  and 
at  fruiting  time,  in  1877,  we  harvested  a  full  and  abundant  crop 
of  strawberries  and  raspberries.  Since  that  time  we  have  used 
nothing  but  ground  bone  and  muriate  of  potash  to  manure  all 


IO6  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

of  our  berry  fields  with,  and  continue  to  get  fully  as  satisfactory 
results  as  in  former  years,  when  we  depended  upon  stable  ma- 
nure at  more  than  double  the  cost  per  acre.  Some  parties  who 
have  been  looking  into  the  matter  suggest  that  possibly  our 
satisfactory  results  are  owing  not  so  much  to  the  fertilizers  as 
to  the  liberal  supply  of  stable  manure  used  in  former  years. 
Yet  the  past  season  we  picked  143  bushels  of  Charles  Down- 
ings  per  acre,  from  a  field  manured  with  bone  and  potash,  so 
poor  and  worn  out  that  two  years  before  it  would  only  produce 
six  bushels  of  rye  per  acre.  That  land  had  no  stable  manure 
on  it,  and  if  it  was  not  the  bone  and  potash  that  furnished  food 
for  the  berries,  we  would  like  to  know  what  it  was.  The  one 
mistake  we  have  made  is,  I  think,  in  not  using  six  or  eight 
hundred  pounds  of  fish  scrap  or  guano,  and  only  1,500  pounds 
of  bone.  The  fish  or  guano,  being  such  quick-acting  fertilizers, 
would  give  the  plants  a  much  better  start  early  in  the  season 
than  would  be  the  case  if  only  the  bone  and  potash  were  used. 
We  shall  try  it  the  coming  spring.  In  applying  the  potash 
great  care  should  be  taken  to  have  it  thoroughly  incorporated 
with  the  soil,  it  being  only  about  55  per  cent  actual  potash ; 
the  balance,  being  largely  composed  of  salt,  would,  of  course, 
kill  the  roots  of  young  plants  if  brought  directly  in  contact  with 
them.  In  fields  where  we  have  used  the  potash,  we  have  been 
troubled  with  white  grubs  only  to  a  very  limited  extent,  while 
portions  of  the  same  field  where  stable  manure  had  been  used 
were  badly  infested  with  them,  and  while  I  do  not  think  salt 
will  drive  them  all  out  of  the  soil,  I  do  believe  it  will  do  so  to 
some  extent.  Besides  the  fertilizers  I  have  named,  we  have  in 
the  past  six  years  experimented  in  a  small  way  with  many 
others.  Among  them,  Stockbridge's  strawberry  manure  and 
Mapes'  fruit  and  vine  manures,  but  have  never  had  as  good  re- 
turns for  the  money  invested  as  from  the  bone  and  potash  ;  and 
yet,  while  they  have  proved  of  such  great  value  to  us,  I  would 
not  advise  you  or  any  one  to  give  up  stable  manure  for  them  if 
you  can  get  it  at  the  same  cost  per  acre,  but  if  you  cannot,  then 
I  say  try  bone  dust  and  potash  in  a  small  way,  until  you  learn 
just  what_y<7»r  soil  wants,  and  then  supply  it,  whether  it  be  500, 
1,000,  or  2,000  pounds  per  acre." 


COMMERCIAL  AND  SPECIAL  FERTILIZERS.      IO/ 

Mr.  Hale  adds  :  — 

"  The  most  of  our  soil  is  a  sandy  loam.  We  have  some 
heavy  loa,m  and  a  few  acres  of  clay  gravel,  and  we  have  always 
had  good  results  from  the  use  of  bone  and  potash  on  all  of 
these  soils. 

"  We  have  never  used  lime  on  our  berry  fields  at  the  time  of 
planting,  and  yet,  as  you  know,  all  of  our  New  England  soils 
are  deficient  in  lime.  We  use  some  indirectly,  as  we  grow 
clover  to  plow  under,  and  usually  give  at  that  time  a  good 
dressing  of  lime.  As  we  try  to  have  a  new  clover  field  every 
year,  we  get  all  around  the  farm  in  six  or  eight  years,  and  we 
therefore  get  a  dressing  of  lime  all  around  once  in  that  time, 
and  have  never  been  able  to  see  any  ill  effects  from  it.  In  fact, 
we  believe  it  a  positive  benefit  in  helping  to  keep  down  sorrel, 
if  nothing  more." 

There  would  be  very  few  worn-out  farms,  or  poverty- 
stricken  farmers,  if  all  followed  the  example  of  the  Hale 
brothers. 

The  value  of  potash  and  bone  meal  is  thus  clearly  shown, 
but  the  latter  does  not  contain  nitrogen  in  sufficient  quan- 
tity. I  think  Mr.  Hale  is  correct  in  the  opinion  that  he  can 
secure  better  results  by  using  at  the  same  time  some  nitro- 
genous manure,  like  fish  scrap,  guano,  etc.  If  he  had 
heavy,  cold,  clay  land  to  deal  with,  it  is  possible  that  he 
might  find  the  stable  manure  the  cheapest  and  best  in  the 
long  run,  even  at  its  increased  cost. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Ferris,  of  Poughkeepsie,  writes  to  me  that  he 
has  found  great  advantage  in  the  use  of  the  Mapes  &  Stock- 
bridge  special  fertilizers.  "  My  experience,"  he  says,  "  is 
only  as  to  strawberries,  and  on  them  I  would  say  that  the 
result  of  applying  equal  values  of  manure, — stable  and  com- 
mercial, —  as  to  cost,  would  be  from  ten  to  twenty-five  per 
cent  in  favor  of  the  commercial,  as  a  stimulant  to  apply  in 
the  spring,  or,  in  small  quantities,  to  plants  first  starting. 


IO8  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FKUITS. 

This  does  not  apply  to  the  first  preparation  of  the  ground. 
In  this  direction  I  propose  to  experiment.  I  have  hereto- 
fore applied  fertilizers  early  in  spring  by  hand,  distributing 
it  along  the  rows." 

Records  of  varying  experiences,  and  the  discussion  of 
commercial  fertilizers,  might  be  continued  indefinitely,  but 
enough  has  been  said,  I  think,  to  suggest  to  each  cultivator 
unacquainted  with  the  subject  in  what  directions  he  should 
seek  success.  '  If  I  were  asked  what  is  the  one  special  ma- 
nure in  which  the  strawberry  especially  delights,  I  should 
answer  unhesitatingly,  the  well  decayed  and  composted  pro- 
duction of  the  cow-stable,  and  if  the  reader  had  seen  Mr. 
Durand's  beds  of  the  Great  American  variety  in  bearing, 
after  being  enriched  with  this  material,  he  would  be  well 
satisfied  to  use  it  when  it  could  be  obtained.  The  vines  of 
even  this  fastidious  berry,  that  falters  and  fails  in  most  soils, 
averaged  one  foot  in  height,  and  were  loaded  with  enor- 
mous fruit.  The  subject  may  be  summed  up  by  an  extract 
from  a  letter  of  Mr.  Alexander  Hyde  to  the  "  New  York 
Times  "  :  — 

"Nitrates,  phosphates,  and  ammonia  are  good  fertilizers,  and 
just  the  chemicals  which  most  lands  need,  but  plants  require  a 
good  bed  as  well  as  good  food.  The  physical  condition  of  the 
soil,  as  well  as  the  chemical,  must  receive  attention;  and  we 
know  of  nothing  superior  to  a  well-made  compost  for  furnishing 
both  the  chemical  and  physical  conditions  necessary  for  the  de- 
velopment of  our  crops." 


CHAPTER  XL 

OBTAINING   PLANTS   AND    IMPROVING    OUR    STOCK. 

TTAVING  prepared  and  enriched  our  ground,  we  are 
•*•  •••  ready  for  the  plants.  They  can  often  be  obtained 
from  a  good  neighbor  whose  beds  we  have  watched  across 
the  fence,  and  whose  varieties  we  have  sampled  to  our  sat- 
isfaction. But  the  most  liberal  neighbors  may  not  be  able 
to  furnish  all  we  need,  or  the  kinds  we  wish.  Moreover,  in 
private  gardens,  names  and  varieties  are  usually  in  a  sad  tan- 
gle. We  must  go  to  the  nurseryman.  At  this  point,  per- 
haps, a  brief  appeal  to  the  reader's  common-sense  may  save 
much  subsequent  loss  and  disappointment. 

In  most  of  our  purchases,  we  see  the  article  before  we 
take  it,  and  can  estimate  its  value.  Just  the  reverse  is  usu- 
ally true  of  plants.  We  know  —  or  believe  —  that  certain 
varieties  are  valuable,  and  we  order  them  from  a  distance, 
paying  in  advance.  When  received,  the  most  experienced 
cannot  be  sure  that  the  plants  are  true  to  the  names  they 
bear.  We  must  plant  them  in  our  carefully  prepared  land, 
expend  upon  them  money,  labor,  and,  above  all,  months 
and  years  of  our  brief  lives,  only  to  learn,  perhaps,  that  the 
varieties  are  not  what  we  ordered,  and  that  we  have  wasted 
everything  on  a  worthless  kind.  The  importance  of  start- 
ing right,  therefore,  can  scarcely  be  overestimated.  It  is 
always  best  to  buy  of  men  who,  in  the  main,  grow  their  own 
stock,  and  therefore  know  about  it,  and  who  have  estab- 
lished a  reputation  for  integrity  and  accuracy.  The  itiner 


110  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

ant  agent  flits  from  Maine  to  California,  and  too  often  the 
marvellous  portraits  of  fruits  that  he  exhibits  do  not  even  re- 
semble the  varieties  whose  names  they  bear.  It  is  best  to 
buy  of  those  who  have  a  "  local  habitation  and  a  name," 
and  then,  if  anything  is  wrong,  one  knows  where  to  look  for 
redress. 

Even  if  one  wishes  to  be  accurate,  it  is  difficult  to  know 
that  one's  stock  is  absolutely  pure  and  true  to  name.  The 
evil  of  mixed  plants  is  more  often  perpetuated  in  the  fol- 
lowing innocent  manner  than  by  any  intentional  deception : 
For  instance,  one  buys  from  a  trustworthy  source,  as  he  sup- 
poses, a  thousand  "  Monarch  "  strawberry  plants,  and  sets 
them  out  in  the  spring.  All  blossoms  should  be  picked  off 
the  first  year,  and,  therefore,  there  can  be  no  fruit  as  a  test 
of  purity  that  season.  But  by  fall  there  are  many  thousands 
of  young  plants.  The  grower  naturally  says:  "I  bought 
these  for  the  Monarch,  therefore  they  are  Monarchs,"  and 
he  sells  many  plants  as  such.  When  coming  into  fruit  the 
second  summer,  he  finds,  however,  that  not  one  in  twenty 
is  a  Monarch  plant.  As  an  honest  man,  he  now  digs  them 
under  hi  disgust ;  but  the  mischief  has  already  been  done, 
and  scattered  throughout  the  country  are  thousands  of  mixed 
plants  which  multiply  with  the  vigor  of  evil.  Nurserymen 
should  never  take  varieties  for  granted,  no  matter  where 
obtained.  I  endeavor  so  to  train  my  eye  that  I  can  detect 
the  distinguishing  marks  even  in  the  foliage  and  blossoms, 
and  if  anything  looks  suspicious  I  root  it  out.  The  foliage 
of  the  Monarch  of  the  West  is  so  distinct  that  if  one  learns 
to  know  it  he  can  tell  whether  his  plants  are  mixed  at  a 
glance. 

If  possible,  the  nurseryman  should  start  with  plants  that 
he  knows  to  be  genuine,  and  propagate  from  them.  Then, 
by  constant  and  personal  vigilance,  he  can  maintain  a  stock 


PLANTS  AND  STOCK,  1 1 1 

that  will  not  be  productive  chiefly  of  profanity  when  coming 
into  fruit.  This  scrutiny  of  propagating  beds  is  a  depart- 
ment that  I  shall  never  delegate  to  any  one  else. 

It  is  not  thrift  to  save  in  the  first  cost  of  plants,  if  thereby 
the  risk  of  obtaining  poor,  mixed  varieties  is  increased.  I 
do  not  care  to  save  five  dollars  to-day  and  lose  fifty  by  the 
operation  within  a  year.  A  gentleman  wrote  to  me,  "  I 
have  been  outrageously  cheated  in  buying  plants."  On  the 
same  page  he  asked  me  to  furnish  stock  at  rates  as  absurdly 
low  as  those  of  the  man  who  cheated  him.  If  one  insists  on 
having  an  article  at  far  less  than  the  cost  of  production,  it  is 
not  strange  that  he  finds  some  who  will  "  cheat  him  outra- 
geously." I  find  it  by  far  the  cheapest  in  the  long  run  to 
go  to  the  most  trustworthy  sources,  and  pay  the  grower  a 
price  which  enables  him  to  give  me  just  what  I  want. 

When  plants  are  both  fine  and  genuine  they  can  still  be 
spoiled,  or,  at  least,  injured  in  transit  from  the  ground  where 
they  grew.  Dig  so  as  to  save  all  the  roots,  shake  these 
clean  of  earth,  straighten  them  out,  and  tie  the  plants  into 
bundles  of  fifty.  Pack  in  boxes,  with  the  roots  down  in 
moss  and  the  tops  exposed  to  the  air.  Do  not  press  them  in 
too  tightly  or  make  them  too  wet,  or  else  the  plants  become 
heated,  —  a  process  which  speedily  robs  them  of  all  vitality. 
In  cool  seasons,  and  when  the  distance  is  not  too  great, 
plants  can  be  shipped  in  barrels  thickly  perforated  with 
holes.  The  tops  should  be  toward  the  sides  and  the  roots 
in  the  centre,  down  through  which  there  should  be  a  circu- 
lation of  air.  In  every  case,  envelop  the  roots  in  damp 
moss  or  leaves,  —  damp,  but  not  wet.  Plants  can  be  sent 
by  mail  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  per  ounce,  and  those  ob- 
tained in  this  way  rarely  fail  in  doing  well. 

This  fact  should  be  carefully  kept  in  mind  by  those  resid- 
ing long  distances  from  express  offices,  or  the  points  from 


112  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

which  they  wish  to  order  their  plants.  Packages  weighing 
four  pounds  and  less  can  be  sent  by  mail  and  received  with 
our  letters,  and  by  a  little  inquiry  and  calculation  it  may  be 
found  the  cheapest  and  most  convenient  way  of  obtaining 
them.  I  find  no  difficulty  in  mailing  all  the  small  fruit 
plants  to  every  part  of  the  continent. 

The  greater  part  of  the  counting  and  packing  of  plants 
should  be  done  in  a  cellar,  or  some  place  of  low,  even  tem- 
perature, in  order  to  prevent  the  little  fibrous  roots,  on 
which  the  future  growth  so  greatly  depends,  from  becoming 
shrivelled.  The  best  part  of  the  roots  are  extremely  sensi- 
tive to  sunlight  or  frost,  and,  worse  than  all,  to  a  cold,  dry 
wind.  Therefore,  have  the  plants  gathered  up  as  fast  as 
they  are  dug  and  carried  to  a  damp,  cool  room,  where  the 
temperature  varies  but  little.  From  such  a  place  they  can 
be  packed  and  shipped  with  the  leisure  that  insures  careful 
work. 

After  having  obtained  good,  genuine  plants  to  start  with, 
we  can  greatly  improve  our  stock  by  a  system  of  careful  se- 
lection. This  is  a  truth  of  great  importance,  but  so  obvious 
that  we  need  not  dwell  long  upon  it.  Let  me  illustrate  what 
I  mean  by  the  course  I  propose  to  enter  upon  during  the 
coming  season.  In  our  beds  of  each  variety  there  will  be 
a  few  plants  that,  for  some  reason,  will  surpass  all  the  others 
in  vigor,  productiveness,  and  especially  in  the  manifestation 
of  the  peculiar  and  distinguishing  traits  of  the  variety.  I 
shall  carefully  mark  such  plants,  remove  all  others  from 
their  vicinity,  and  propagate  from  them.  Thus,  in  the 
course  of  two  or  three  years,  I  shall  renew  my  entire  stock 
of  standard  varieties  from  the  very  best  and  most  character- 
istic specimens  of  each  kind.  From  this  improved  stock 
the  best  types  should  be  chosen  again  and  again  ;  and  by 
this  course  I  am  satisfied  that  a  surprising  degree  of  excel- 


PLANTS  AND  STOCK.  113 

fence  can  be  attained.  It  is  on  the  same  principle  of  care- 
ful breeding  from  blooded  and  perfect  animals.  From  very 
many  localities  come  the  complaint  that  Wilsons  and  other 
fine  old  varieties  are  "  running  out."  How  can  it  be  other- 
wise, in  view  of  the  treatment  they  receive  and  the  careless 
way  in  which  they  are  propagated  ?  Even  when  unmixed, 
they  are  usually  the  enfeebled  children  of  degenerate  par- 
ents. There  is  no  variety  in  the  country  more  badly  mixed 
than  the  Wilson;  and  the  trouble  often  arises  from  wild 
strawberries  creeping  in  among  them  from  the  edges  of  the 
field.  The  spurious  plants  are  taken  up  with  the  others, 
and  the  mixture  is  scattered  up  and  down  the  land.  The 
same  is  true  with  other  varieties  that  have  long  been  in  cul- 
tivation. Indeed,  I  have  found  mixtures  in  new  varieties 
obtained  directly  from  the  originators.  Therefore  the  need 
that  the  plant  grower  should  give  personal  and  unceasing 
vigilance  to  the  stock  from  which  he  propagates,  and  that 
those  who  take  a  pride  in  improving  their  stock  should  often 
scan  their  beds  narrowly.  Moreover,  if  a  bed  stands  several 
years  in  the  same  place,  new  seedlings  may  spring  up,  and 
thus  create  a  mixture. 


8 


CHAPTER  XII. 

WHEN    SHALL   WE   PLANT? 

"VTATURE  has  endowed  the  strawberry-plant  with  the 
•*•  power  of  taking  root  and  growing  readily  at  almost 
any  season  when  young  plants  can  be  obtained.  My  best 
success,  however,  has  been  in  November  and  early  spring. 
The  latter  part  of  May  and  the  month  of  June  is  the  only 
time  at  which  I  have  not  planted  with  satisfactory  results. 
In  Northern  latitudes,  early  spring  is  preferable,  for  at  this 
season  the  ground  is  moist,  showers  are  abundant,  and  the 
impulse  of  growth  is  strong.  The  weather  is  cool,  also, 
and  therefore  the  plants  rarely  heat  or  dry  out  during 
transportation. 

In  the  South,  autumn  is  by  far  the  best  time  to  plant. 
When  the  young  plants  are  grown  on  the  same  place,  they 
may  be  transferred  to  the  fruiting  beds  and  fields  any  time 
between  July  and  the  middle  of  November.  The  earlier 
they  are  set  out,  if  they  can  be  kept  growing  during  the 
remainder  of  the  hot  season,  the  larger  will  be  the  yield  the 
following  spring.  As  a  rule,  plants,  unless  grown  in  pots, 
cannot  be  shipped  from  the  North  to  the  South  until  cool 
weather.  The  forwarding  to  the  latitude  of  Richmond 
begins  in  September,  and  to  points  farther  south  in  October 
and  November ;  from  Florida  to  Louisiana  I  hear  of  almost 
unvarying  success. 

Of  late  years  the  practice  of  growing  plants  in  pots  and 
sending  them  out  as  the  florists  do  flowers  has  become  very 


WHEN  SHALL   WE  PLANT  t  115 

prevalent.  These  potted  plants  can  be  set  out  in  July, 
August  and  September,  and  the  ball  of  earth  clinging  to 
their  roots  prevents  wilting,  and,  unless  they  are  neglected, 
insures  their  living.  Pot-grown  plants  are  readily  obtained 
by  sinking  two  and  a  half  or  three  inch  pots  up  to  their  rims 
in  the  propagating-beds,  and  filling  them  with  rich  earth 
mingled  with  old,  thoroughly  rotted  compost,  leaf  mold, 
decayed  sods,  etc.,  but  never  with  fresh,  unfermented 
manure.  I  have  found  the  admixture  of  a  little  fine  bone 
meal  with  the  soil  to  be  strong  aid  to  vigorous  growth. 
The  young  runners  are  then  so  guided  and  held  down  by  a 
small  stone  or  lump  of  earth  that  they  will  take  root  in  the 
pots.  Indeed,  quite  large  plants,  if  still  attached  to  thrifty 
runners,  may  be  taken  up,  their  roots  shortened  to  one- 
quarter  of  an  inch,  and  these  inserted  in  the  little  pots, 
which  will  be  speedily  filled  with  a  new  growth  of  roots. 
It  is  very  important  that  abundant  and  continuous  moisture 
should  be  maintained.  A  hot  wind  or  a  scorching  sun  will 
dry  out  within  a  few  hours  the  small  amount  of  earth  the  pots 
contain,  and  the  plants  thus  receive  a  check  from  which 
they  may  never  recover.  The  amateur  should  watch  them 
closely,  and  the  plant  grower  should  employ  a  man  with  the 
clear  understanding  that  he  would  lose  his  position  if  he 
permitted  moisture  to  fail  even  for  half  a  day. 

In  about  two  weeks,  with  good  management,  the  plants 
will  fill  the  pots  with  roots,  which  so  interlace  as  to  hold 
the  ball  of  earth  compactly  together  during  transportation. 
This  ball  of  earth  with  the  roots,  separates  readily  from  the 
pot,  and  the  plant,  thus  sustained,  could  be  shipped  around 
the  world  if  kept  from  drying  out  and  the  foliage  protected 
from  the  effects  of  alternate  heat  and  cold.  The  agricultu- 
ral editor  of  the  "  New  York  Weekly  Times"  writes  me  that 
the  potted  plants  are  worth  their  increased  cost,  if  for  no 


Il6  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

other   reason,  because   they  are   so   easily  planted  in  hot 
weather. 

The  chief  advantage  of  summer  planting  lies  in  the  fact 
that  we  obtain  a  good  crop  the  following  season,  while  plants 
set  out  in  spring  should  not  be  permitted  to  bear  at  all  the 
same  year.  If  we  discover  in  May  or  June  that  our  supply 
is  insufficient,  or  that  some  new  varieties  offer  us  paradisai- 
cal flavors,  we  can  set  out  the  plants  in  the  summer  or  au- 
tumn of  the  same  year,  and  within  eight  or  ten  months 
gather  the  fruits  of  our  labors.  If  the  season  is  somewhat 
showery,  or  if  one  is  willing  to  take  the  trouble  to  water  and 


A  Potted  Plant. 


shade  the  young  plants,  ordinary  layers  —  that  is,  plants 
that  have  grown  naturally  in  the  open  ground  —  will  answer 
almost  as  well  as  those  that  have  been  rooted  in  pots.  The 
fact  that  they  do  not  cost  half  as  much  is  also  in  their  favor. 
The  disposition  to  plant  in  summer  or  autumn  is  steadily 
increasing,  and  the  following  reasons  are  good  and  substan- 
tial ones  for  the  practice.  In  our  gardens  and  fields  there 
are  many  crops  that  mature  in  July,  August,  and  September. 
The  cultivation  of  these  crops  has  probably  left  the  ground 
mellow,  and  in  good  condition  for  strawberries.  Instead  of 
leaving  this  land  idle,  or  a  place  for  weeds  to  grow  and  seed, 
it  can  be  deebly  forked  or  plowed,  and  enriched,  as  has 
been  explained.  Even  in  July,  potted  plants  may  be 
bought,  and  unless  the  ground  is  full  of  the  larvae  of  the 


WHEN  SHALL   WE  PLANT? 

June  beetle,  or  the  plants  are  treated  with  utter  neglect,  not 
one  in  a  hundred  will  fail.  Say  the  plants  cost  us  two  and 
a  half  cents  each  by  the  time  they  are  planted,  instead  of 
one  half  to  one  cent  as  in  the  spring,  is  there  not  a  prospect 
of  an  equal  or  larger  profit?  A  potted  plant  set  out  in 
summer  or  early  autumn,  and  allowed  to  make  no  runners, 
will  yield  at  least  a  pint  of  fruit ;  and  usually  these  first  ber- 
ries are  very  large  and  fine,  bringing  the  best  prices.  Sup- 
pose, however,  we  are  able  to  obtain  but  ten  cents  a  quart, 
you  still  have  a  margin  of  two  and  one  half  cents  on  each 
plant.  Adding  two  cents  to  the  cost  of  each  plant  to  cover 
the  expense  of  cultivation,  winter  protection,  spring  mulch- 
ing, picking,  etc.,  there  still  remains  a  profit  of  half  a  cent 
on  each  plant.  Supposing  we  have  an  acre  containing 
14,520  plants,  our  estimate  gives  a  profit  of  $72.60  for  the 
first  year.  If  we  clear  but  a  quarter  of  a  cent  on  each 
plant,  we  have  a  profit  of  $36.30.  The  prospects  are,  how- 
ever, that  if  we  plant  early  in  the  summer,  on  rich  ground, 
and  give  good  cultivation,  our  plants  will  yield  more  than 
a  pint  each,  and  the  fruit  sell  for  more  than  ten  cents  a 
quart. 

This  estimate  applies  to  the  common  market  varieties 
raised  with  only  ordinary  skill  and  success.  Suppose,  in 
contrast,  one  plants  the  large,  showy,  high-flavored  varieties, 
and  is  able  to  obtain  from  fifteen  to  thirty  cents  per  quart. 
The  expenses  in  this  case  are  no  greater,  while  the  profits 
are  very  largely  increased. 

Good  potted  plants  can  be  bought  for  about  $2.50  per 
100,  or  $20  per  2,000.  I  do  not  think  that  they  can  be 
properly  grown  and  sold  at  much  lower  rates  and  afford  a 
living  profit.  Freight  and  express  charges  are  a  heavy  item 
of  expense,  since  the  earth  encasing  the  roots  renders  the 
packages  very  heavy,  and  but  comparatively  few  plants  can 


Il8  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

be  shipped  in  one  box.  But,  allowing  for  all  expenses,  I 
think  it  is  evident  that  people  can  obtain  a  fair  profit 
from  potted  plants  within  eight  or  ten  months  from  the 
time  of  planting.  Moreover,  autumn-set  plants  start  with 
double  vigor  in  early  spring,  and  make  a  fine  growth  before 
the  hot,  dry  weather  checks  them ;  and  the  crop  from  them 
the  second  year  will  be  the  very  best  that  they  are  capable 
of  producing.  Two  paying  crops  are  thus  obtained  within 
two  years,  and  the  cost  of  cultivation  the  first  year  is  slight 
for  the  plants  are  set  after  the  great  impulse  of  annual  weed 
growth  is  past.  With  spring-set  plants  you  get  t  but  one 
crop  in  two  years.  The  first  year  yields  nothing  unless 
plants  are  sold,  and  yet  the  cultivation  must  be  unceasing 
through  May,  June  and  July,  when  Nature  seems  to  give  no 
little  thought  to  the  problem  of  how  many  weeds  can  be 
grown  to  the  square  inch.  If  one  wishes  early  plants,  he 
certainly  should  practise  autumn  planting,  for  a  plant  set 
even  in  November,  will  begin  to  make  runners  nearly  a 
month  earlier  than  one  set  in  spring. 

Thus  far  we  have  looked  at  the  subject  from  a  business 
stand-point. 

Those  who  wish  plants  for  the  home  supply  certainly 
should  not  hesitate  to  furnish  their  gardens  as  early  in  the 
summer  as  possible.  To  wait  two  years  of  our  short  lives 
for  strawberries  because  the  plants  are  a  little  cheaper  in 
the  spring  is  a  phase  of  economy  that  suggests  the  moon. 
Such  self-denial  in  a  good  cause  would  be  heroic. 

If  people  will  use  a  little  forethought,  they  can  practise 
summer  and  autumn  planting  with  double  success,  indepen- 
dently of  the  plant  grower.  We  have  shown  that  there  is 
no  mystery  in  raising  potted  plants.  Moreover,  in  the  hot- 
test summers  there  are  showery,  cloudy  days  when  ordinary 
layer  plants  can  be  set  with  perfect  safety.  If  the  field  or 


WHEN  SHALL    WE  PLANT?  1 19 

garden  bed  is  near  where  the  layer  plants  are  growing,  the 
latter  can  be  taken  up  with  earth  clinging  to  their  roots, 
and  thus  have  all  the  advantages  of  potted  plants.  Even 
under  the  Southern  sun,  hundreds  of  acres  are,  in  this  man- 
ner, set  annually  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston. 

As  the  autumn  grows  cool  and  moist,  layer  plants  can  be 
obtained  from  a  distance  and  set  out  profitably  in  large 
quantities.  The  chief  danger  in  late  planting  results  from 
the  tendency  of  the  plants  to  be  thrown  out  of  the  ground 
by  the  action  of  the  frost,  and  a  few  varieties  do  not  seem 
sufficiently  hardy  to  endure  severe  cold.  I  obviate  this 
difficulty  by  simply  hoeing  upon  the  plants  two  inches  of 
earth,  just  before  the  ground  freezes  in  November  or 
December.  This  winter  covering  of  soil  enables  me  to 
plant  with  entire  success  at  any  time  in  the  fall  —  even  late 
in  November  —  instead  of  spring,  when  there  is  a  rush  of 
work.  The  earth  is  raked  off  the  plants  in  March  or 
April,  as  soon  as  severe  freezing  weather  is  over ;  otherwise 
they  would  decay.  Do  not  first  put  manure  on  the  plants 
and  then  cover  with  earth  —  cover  with  earth  only. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  each  period  has  its  advantages, 
which  will  vary  with  different  seasons.  If  drought  and  heat 
come  in  early  May,  spring-set  plants  may  suffer  badly. 
Again,  periods  in  summer  and  autumn  may  be  so  hot  and 
dry  that  even  potted  plants  can  only  be  kept  alive  by 
repeated  waterings.  My  practice  is  to  divide  my  plantings 
about  equally  between  summer,  fall,  and  spring.  I  thus  take 
no  chances  of  failure. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

WHAT  SHALL  WE  PLANT? VARIETIES,  THEIR   CHARACTER  AND 

ADAPTATION  TO   SOILS. 

T  HAVE  in  my  library  an  admirable  little  treatise  written 
•^  by  the  late  R.  G.  Pardee,  and  printed  twenty-five  years 
ago.  While  the  greater  part  of  what  he  says,  relating  to  the 
requirements  of  the  plant  and  its  culture,  is  substantially  cor- 
rect, his  somewhat  extended  list  of  varieties  is  almost  wholly 
obsolete.  With  the  exception  of  Hovey's  Seedling,  scarcely 
one  can  be  found  in  a  modern  catalogue.  Even  carefully 
prepared  lists,  made  at  a  much  later  date,  contain  the  names 
of  but  few  kinds  now  seen  in  the  garden  or  market.  I  have 
before  me  the  catalogue  of  Prince  &  Co.,  published  in  1865, 
and  out  of  their  list  of  169  varieties  but  three  are  now  in 
general  cultivation,  and  the  great  majority  are  utterly  un- 
known. Thus  it  would  seem  that  a  catalogue  soon  becomes 
historical,  and  that  the  kinds  most  heralded  to-day  may 
exist  only  in  name  but  a  few  years  hence.  The  reasons  can 
readily  be  given.  The  convex  heart  of  every  strawberry 
blossom  will  be  found  to  consist  of  pistils,  and  usually  of 
stamens  ranged  around  them.  When  both  stamens  and  pis- 
tils are  found  in  the  same  blossom,  as  is  the  case  with  most 
varieties,  it  is  called  a  perfect  flower,  or  staminate.  In  rare 
instances,  strawberry  flowers  are  found  which  possess  sta- 
mens without  pistils,  and  these  are  called  male  blossoms; 
far  more  often  varieties  exist  producing  pistils  only,  and 


VARIETIES,  CHARACTER,  ETC.  121 

they  are  named  pistillate  kinds.  Either  of  the  last  two  if 
left  alone  would  be  barren ;  the  male  flowers  are  always  so, 
but  the  pistillate  or  female  flowers,  if  fertilized  with  pollen 
from  perfect- flowered  plants,  produce  fruit.  This  fertilizing 
is  effected  by  the  agency  of  the  wind,  or  by  insects  seeking 
honey. 

The  ovule  in  the  ovarium  to  which  the  stigma  leads  rep- 
resents, at  maturity,  a  seed,  —  the  actual  fruit  of  the  straw- 
berry, —  and  within  each  seed  Nature,  by  a  subtile  process 
of  her  own,  wraps  up  some  of  the  qualities  of  the  plant  that 
produced  the  seed,  and  some  of  the  qualities  also  of  the 
plant  from  which  came  the  pollen  that  impregnated  the 
ovule.  This  seed,  planted,  produces  an  entirely  new  va- 
riety, which,  as  a  rule,  exhibits  characteristics  of  both  its 
parents,  and  traits,  also,  of  its  grandparents  and  remote  an- 
cestors. The  law  of  heredity  is  the  same  as  in  cattle  or  the 
human  race.  Thus  it  may  be  seen  that  millions  of  new  vari- 
eties can  be  very  easily  obtained.  A  single  plant-grower  often 
raises  many  thousands  to  which  he  never  gives  a  name,  by 
reason  of  the  fact — noted  elsewhere  than  in  the  fruit  gar- 
den—  that  most  of  these  new  strawberries  in  no  respect  sur- 
pass or  even  equal  their  parents.  The  great  majority,  after 
fruiting,  —  which  they  do  when  two  years  old,  —  are  thrown 
away.  A  new  variety  which  is  not  so  good  as  the  old  ones 
from  which  it  came  should  not  be  imposed  upon  the  public. 
But  they  often  are,  sometimes  deliberately,  but  far  more 
often  for  other  reasons ;  as,  for  instance,  through  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  possessor.  It  is  his  seedling;  therefore  it  is 
wonderful.  He  pets  it  and  gives  it  extra  care,  to  which 
even  very  inferior  varieties  generously  respond. 

In  the  same  old  catalogue  to  which  I  have  referred 
Prince  &  Co.  announce  :  "  We  now  offer  a  few  of  our  supe- 
rior new  seedlings,  with  descriptions,  and  there  is  not  an 


122  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

acid  or  inferior  one  among  them.  There  is  not  one  of 
them  that  is  not  superior  to  all  the  seedlings  recently  intro- 
duced." Not  one  of  these  thirty-five  "  superior  seedlings," 
to  my  knowledge,  is  now  in  cultivation.  They  have  disap- 
peared in  less  than  fifteen  years  j  and  yet  I  have  no  doubt 
that  on  the  grounds  of  Prince  &  Co.  they  gave  remarkable 
promise. 

Again,  a  fruit  grower  sends  out  second  and  third  rate 
kinds  from  defective  knowledge.  He  has  not  judiciously 
compared  his  petted  seedlings  with  the  superb  varieties  al- 
ready in  existence.  It  is  soon  discovered  by  general  trial 
that  the  vaunted  new-comers  are  not  so  good  as  the  old ; 
and  so  they  also  cease  to  be  cultivated,  leaving  only  a 
name. 

The  editor  of  the  "  Rural  New  Yorker "  has  adopted  a 
course  which  would  be  very  useful  indeed  to  the  public,  if 
it  could  be  carried  out  in  the  various  fruit-growing  centres 
of  the  country.  He  obtains  a  few  plants  of  every  new  vari- 
ety offered  for  sale,  and  tests  them  side  by  side,  under  pre- 
cisely the  same  conditions,  reporting  the  results  in  his  paper. 
Such  records  of  experience  are  worth  any  amount  of  theory, 
or  the  half-truths  of  those  who  are  acquainted  with  but  few 
varieties.  I  tested  fifty  kinds  last  year  in  one  specimen- 
bed.  The  plants  were  treated  precisely  alike,  and  permitted 
to  mature  all  their  fruit,  I  being  well  content  to  let  eight  or 
ten  bushels  go  to  waste  in  order  to  see  just  what  each  vari- 
ety could  do.  From  such  trial-beds  the  comparative  merits 
of  each  kind  can  be  seen  at  a  glance.  Highly  praised  new- 
comers, which  are  said  to  supersede  everything,  must  show 
what  they  are  and  can  do  beside  the  old  standard  varieties 
that  won  their  laurels  yeats  age.  I  thus  learn  that  but  few 
can  endure  the  test,  and  occasionally  I  find  an  old  kind 
sent  out  with  a  new  name.  When  visiting  fruit  farms  in 


VARIETIES,   CHARACTER,  ETC.  12 ;> 

New  Jersey  last  summer,  I  was  urged  to  visit  a  small  place 
on  which  was  growing  a  wonderful  new  berry.  The  mo- 
ment I  saw  the  fruit  and  foliage,  I  recognized  the  Col. 
Cheney,  forced  into  unusual  luxuriance  by  very  favorable 
conditions.  Other  experienced  growers,  whose  attention  I 
called  to  the  distinguishing  marks  of  this  variety,  agreed 
with  me  at  once  ;  but  the  proprietor,  who  probably  had 
never  seen  the  Cheney  before  and  did  not  know  where  the 
plants  came  from,  thought  it  was  a  remarkable  new  variety, 
and  as  such  it  might  have  been  honestly  sent  out.  Trial- 
beds  at  once  detect  the  old  kinds  with  new  names,  and 
thus  may  save  the  public  from  a  vast  deal  of  imposition. 

Such  beds  would  also  be  of  very  great  service  in  suggest- 
ing the  varieties  that  can  be  grown  with  profit  in  certain 
localities.  While  the  behavior  of  different  kinds  differs 
greatly  in  varying  soils  and  latitudes,  there  is  no  such  arbi- 
trary mystery  in  the  matter  as  many  imagine.  I  am  satis- 
fied that  the  sorts  which  did  best  in  my  trial-bed  give  the 
best  promise  of  success  wherever  the  soil  and  climate  are 
similar.  In  contrast,  let  a  trial-bed  be  made  on  a  light  soil 
in  Delaware  or  Virginia,  and  100  varieties  be  planted.  Many 
that  are  justly  favorites  in  our  locality  would  there  shrivel 
and  burn,  proving  valueless ;  but  those  that  did  thrive  and 
produce  well,  exhibiting  a  power  to  endure  a  Southern  sun, 
and  to  flourish  in  sand,  should  be  the  choice  for  all  that  re- 
gion. To  the  far  South  and  North,  and  in  the  extremes  of 
the  East  and  West,  trial-beds  would  give  still  varying  re- 
sults ;  but  such  results  would  apply  to  the  soils  and  climate 
Df  the  region  if  proper  culture  were  given.  A  horse  can  be 
mismanaged  on  a  Kentucky  stock-farm,  and  there  are  those 
who  would  have  ill  luck  with  strawberries  in  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  —  they  are  so  skilful  and  persistent  in  doing  the  wrong 
thing.  It  would  well  remunerate  large  planters  to  maintain 


124  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

trial-beds  of  all  the  small  fruits,  and  their  neighbors  could 
afford  to  pay  well  for  the  privilege  of  visiting  them  and 
learning  the  kinds  adapted  to  their  locality. 

I  think  it  may  be  laid  down  as  a  general  truth,  that  those 
kinds  which  do  well  on  a  light  soil  in  one  locality  tend  to 
do  well  on  such  soils  in  all  localities.  The  same  principle 
applies  to  those  requiring  heavy  land.  There  will  be  excep- 
tions, and  but  few  of  those  containing  foreign  blood  will 
thrive  in  the  far  South. 

In  the  brief  limits  of  this  chapter  I  shall  merely  offer  sug- 
gestions and  the  results  of  some  experience,  premising  that 
I  give  but  one  man's  opinion,  and  that  all  have  a  right  to 
differ  from  me.  At  the  close  of  this  volume  may  be  found 
more  accurate  descriptions  of  the  varieties  that  I  have  thought 
worth  naming. 

Among  the  innumerable  candidates  for  favor,  here  and 
there  one  will  establish  itself  by  persistent  well-doing  as  a 
standard  sort.  We  then  learn  that  some  of  these  strawberry 
princes,  like  the  Jucunda,  Triomphe  de  Gand,  and  Presi- 
dent Wilder,  nourish  only  in  certain  soils  and  latitudes, 
while  others,  like  the  Charles  Downing,  Monarch  of  the 
West,  and  Wilson,  adapt  themselves  to  almost  every  con- 
dition and  locality.  Varieties  of  this  class  are  superseded 
very  slowly ;  but  it  would  seem,  with  the  exception  of  Wil- 
son's Albany,  that  the  standards  of  one  generation  have  not 
been  the  favorites  of  the  next.  The  demand  of  our  age  is 
for  large  fruit.  The  demand  has  created  a  supply,  and  the 
old  standard  varieties  have  given  way  to  a  new  class,  of 
which  the  Monarch  and  Seth  Boyden  are  types.  The  latest 
of  these  new  mammoth  berries  is  the  Sharpless,  originated  by 
Mr.  J.  K.  Sharpless,  of  Catawissa,  Pa.  j  which  shows  the  pro- 
gress made  since  horticulturists  began  to  develop  the  wild 
JF.  Virginiana  by  crossing  varieties  and  by  cultivation. 


VARIETIES,  CHARACTER,  ETC.  12$ 

The  most  accurate  and  extended  list  of  varieties  with 
which  I  am  acquainted  is  to  be  found  in  Downing's  "  Ency- 
clopaedia of  Fruits  and  Fruit  Trees  of  America."  It  contains 
the  names,  with  their  synonymes,  and  the  descriptions  of 
over  250  kinds,  and  to  this  I  refer  the  reader. 

The  important  question  to  most  minds  is  not  how  many 
varieties  exist,  but  what  kinds  will  give  the  best  returns.  If 
one  possesses  the  deep,  rich,  moist  loam  that  has  been  de- 
scribed, almost  any  good  variety  will  yield  a  fair  return,  and 
the  best  can  be  made  to  give  surprising  results.  For  table 
use  and  general  cultivation,  North  and  South,  East  and  West, 
I  would  recommend  the  Charles  Downing,  Monarch  of  the 
West,  Seth  Boyden,  Kentucky  Seedling,  Duchess,  and  Golden 
Defiance.  These  varieties  are  all  first-rate  in  quality,  and 
they  have  shown  a  wonderful  adaptation  to  varied  soils  and 
climates.  They  have  been  before  the  public  a  number  of 
years,  and  have  persistently  proved  their  excellence.  There- 
fore, they  are  worthy  of  a  place  in  every  garden.  With 
these  valuable  varieties  for  our  chief  supply,  we  can  try  a 
score  of  other  desirable  kinds,  retaining  such  as  prove  to  be 
adapted  to  our  taste  and  soil. 

If  our  land  is  heavy,  we  can  add  to  the  above,  in 
Northern  latitudes,  Triomphe  de  Gand,  Jucunda,  President 
Wilder,  Forest  Rose,  President  Lincoln,  Sharpless,  Pioneer, 
and  Springdale. 

If  the  soil  is  light,  containing  a  large  proportion  of  sand 
and  gravel,  the  Charles  Downing,  Kentucky  Seedling,  Mon- 
arch of  the  West,  Duchess,  Cumberland  Triumph,  Miner's 
Prolific,  Golden  Defiance,  and  Sharpless  will  be  almost  cer- 
tain to  yield  a  fine  supply  of  large  and  delicious  berries, 
both  North  and  South. 

Let  me  here  observe  that  varieties  that  do  well  on  light 
soils  also  thrive  equally  well  and  often  better  on  heavy  land. 
F— ROE— XVII 


126  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

But  the  converse  is  not  true.  The  Jucunda,  for  instance, 
can  scarcely  be  made  to  exist  on  light  land.  In  the  South, 
it  should  be  the  constant  aim  to  find  varieties  whose  foliage 
can  endure  the  hot  sun.  I  think  that  the  Sharpless,  which 
is  now  producing  a  great  sensation  as  well  as  mammoth  ber- 
ries, will  do  well  in  most  Southern  localities.  It  maintained 
throughout  the  entire  summer  the  greenest  and  most  vigo- 
rous foliage  I  ever  saw.  Miner's  Prolific,  Golden  Defiance, 
Early  Hudson,  and  Cumberland  Triumph  also  appear  to  me 
peculiarly  adapted  to  Southern  cultivation. 

As  we  go  north,  the  difficulties  of  choice  are  not  so  great. 
Coolness  and  moisture  agree  with  the  strawberry  plant. 
There  the  question  of  hardiness  is  to  be  first  considered. 
In  regions,  however,  where  the  snow  falls  early  and  covers 
the  ground  all  winter,  the  strawberry  is  not  so  exposed  as 
with  us,  for  our  gardens  are  often  bare  in  zero  weather. 
Usually,  it  is  not  the  temperature  of  the  air  that  injures  a 
dormant  strawberry  plant,  but  alternations  of  freezing  and 
thawing.  The  deep  and  unmelting  snows  often  enable  the 
horticulturist  to  raise  successfully  in  Canada  tender  fruits 
that  would  "  winter- kill "  much  farther  south.  If  abundant 
protection  is  therefore  provided,  either  by  nature  or  by  art, 
the  people  of  the  North  can  take  their  choice  from  among 
the  best.  In  the  high  latitudes,  early  kinds  will  be  in  re- 
quest, since  the  season  of  growth  is  brief.  The  best  early 
berries  are  Duchess,  Bidwell,  Pioneer,  Early  Hudson,  Black 
Defiance,  Duncan,  Durand's  Beauty,  and,  earliest  of  all, 
Crystal  City.  The  last-named  ripened  first  on  my  place  in 
the  summer  of  1879,  and  although  the  fruit  is  of  medium 
size,  and  rather  soft,  I  fear,  the  plant  is  so  vigorous  and 
easily  grown  that  I  think  it  is  worth  general  trial  North  and 
South.  I  am  informed  that  it  promises  to  take  the  lead  in 
Missouri. 


VARIETIES,  CHARACTER,  ETC.  127 

MARKET  STRAWBERRIES. 

Thus  far  I  have  named  those  kinds  whose  fine  flavor  and 
beauty  entitle  them  to  a  place  in  the  home  garden.  But 
with  a  large  class,  market  qualities  are  more  worthy  of  con- 
sideration ;  and  this  phase  of  the  question  introduces  us  to 
some  exceedingly  popular  varieties  not  yet  mentioned.  The 
four  great  requirements  of  a  market  strawberry  are  produc- 
tiveness, size,  a  good,  bright  color,  and  —  that  it  may  endure 
long  carriage  and  rough  handling  —  firmness.  Because  of 
the  indifference  of  the  consumer,  as  explained  in  an  earlier 
chapter,  that  which  should  be  the  chief  consideration  — 
flavor  —  is  scarcely  taken  into  account.  In  the  present 
unenlightened  condition  of  the  public,  one  of  the  oldest 
strawberries  on  the  list  —  Wilson's  Seedling  —  is  more  largely 
planted  than  all  other  kinds  together.  It  is  so  enormously 
productive,  it  succeeds  so  well  throughout  the  entire  coun- 
try, and  is  such  an  early  berry,  that,  with  the  addition  of  its 
fine  carrying  qualities,  it  promises  to  be  the  great  market 
berry  for  the  next  generation  also.  But  this  variety  is  not 
at  all  adapted  to  thin,  poor  land,  and  is  very  impatient  of 
drought.  In  such  conditions,  the  berries  dwindle  rapidly 
in  size,  and  even  dry  up  on  the  vines.  Where  abundant 
fertility  and  moisture  can  be  maintained,  the  yield  of  a 
field  of  Wilsons  is  simply  marvellous.  On  a  dry  hillside 
close  by,  the  crop  from  the  same  variety  may  not  pay  for 
picking.  Plantations  of  Wilsons  should  be  renewed  every 
two  years,  since  the  plant  speedily  exhausts  itself,  producing 
smaller  berries  with  each  successive  season.  The  Wilson 
is  perhaps  the  best  berry  for  preserving,  since  it  is  hard  and 
its  acid  is  rich  and  not  watery. 

A  rival  of  the  Wilson  has  appeared  within  the  last  few 
years,  —  the   Crescent  Seedling,  also  an  early  berry,  origi- 


128  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

nated  by  Mr.  Parmelee,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  At  first,  it 
received  unbounded  praise ;  now,  it  gets  too  much  censure. 
It  is  a  very  distinct  and  remarkable  variety,  and,  like  the 
Wilson,  I  think,  will  fill  an  important  place  in  strawberry 
culture.  Its  average  size  does  not  much  exceed  that  of  the 
Wilson ;  its  flavor,  when  fully  ripe,  is  about  equal  in  the  es- 
timation of  those  who  do  not  like  acid  fruit.  In  produc- 
tiveness, on  many  soils,  it  will  far  exceed  any  variety  with 
which  I  am  acquainted.  It  is  just  this  capacity  for  growing 
on  thin,  poor  soils  —  anywhere  and  under  any  circumstances 
—  that  gives  to  it  its  chief  value.  In  hardiness  and  vitality 
it  is  almost  equal  to  the  Canada  thistle.  The  young  plants 
are  small,  and  the  foliage  is  slender  and  delicate ;  but  they 
have  the  power  to  live  and  multiply  beyond  that  of  any 
other  variety  I  have  seen.  It  thrives  under  the  suns  of 
'Georgia  and  Florida,  and  cares  naught  for  the  cold  of  Can- 
ada; it  practically  extends  the  domain  of  the  strawberry 
over  the  continent,  and  renders  the  laziest  man  in  the  land, 
who  has  no  strawberries,  without  excuse.  One  of  my  beds 
yielded  at  the  rate  of  346  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  the 
bright,  handsome  scarlet  of  the  berries  caused  them  to  sell 
for  as  much  in  the  open  market  as  varieties  of  far  better 
flavor.  It  is  too  soft  for  long  carriage  by  rail.  Those  to 
whom  flavor  and  large  size  are  the  chief  considerations 
will  not  plant  it,  but  those  who  have  a  near  and  not 
very  fastidious  market,  that  simply  demands  quantity 
and  fine  appearance,  will  grow  it  both  largely  and  prof- 
itably. The  stamens  of  the  Crescent  are  so  imperfectly 
developed  that  every  tenth  row  in  the  field  should 
be  Wilsons,  or  some  other  eaiiy  and  perfect- flowered 
variety. 

In  the  Champion,  we  have  a  late  market  berry  that  is 
steadily  growing  in  favor.     On  rich,  moist  land  it  is  almost 


VARIETIES,  CHARACTER,  ETC.  12$ 

as  productive  as  the  Crescent.  The  fruit  averages  much 
larger  than  the  Wilson,  while  its  rich  crimson  color  makes 
it  very  attractive  in  the  baskets.  The  berries,  like  the  two 
kinds  already  named,  turn  red  before  they  are  ripe,  and  in 
this  immature  condition  their  flavor  is  very  poor,  but  when 
fully  ripe  they  are  excellent.  The  transformation  is  almost 
as  great  as  in  a  persimmon.  Under  generous  culture,  the 
Champion  yields  superb  berries,  that  bring  the  best  prices. 
It  also  does  better  than  most  kinds  under  neglect  and 
drought.  It  is  too  soft  for  long  carriage,  and  its  blossoms 
are  pistillate. 

Within  a  few  years,  a  new  variety  named  Windsor  Chief 
has  been  disseminated,  and  the  enormous  yield  of  17,000 
quarts  per  acre  has  been  claimed  for  it.  It  is  said  to  be  a 
seedling  of  the  Champion  fertilized  with  the  Charles  Down- 
ing variety.  If  there  has  been  no  mistake  in  this  history  of 
its  origin,  it  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  reproduction 
of  the  traits  of  one  parent  only,  for  in  no  respect  have 
I  been  able  thus  far  to  see  wherein  it  differs  from  the 
Champion. 

The  Captain  Jack  is  another  late  variety,  which  is  enor- 
mously productive  of  medium-sized  berries.  It  is  a  great 
favorite  in  Missouri  and  some  other  regions.  The  berries 
carry  well  to  market,  but  their  flavor  is  second-rate. 

The  good  size,  firmness,  and  lateness  of  the  Glendale  —  a 
variety  recently  introduced  —  will  probably  secure  for  it  a 
future  as  a  market  berry. 

In  the  South,  Neunan's  Prolific,  ©r  the  "  Charleston 
Berry,"  as  it  is  usually  called,  is  already  the  chief  variety  for 
shipping.  It  is  an  aromatic  berry,  and  very  attractive  as  it 
appears  in  our  markets  in  March  and  April,  but  it  is  even 
harder  and  sourer  than  an  unripe  Wilson.  When  folly 
matured  on  the  vine  it  is  grateful  to  those  who  like  an  acid 

9 


130  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

berry.  Scarcely  any  other  kind  is  planted  around  Charles- 
ton and  Savannah. 

These  six  varieties,  or  others  like  them,  will  supply  the 
first  great  need  of  all  large  markets, —  quantity.  With  the 
exception  of  the  last,  which  is  not  productive  in  the  North, 
and  requires  good  treatment  even  in  the  South,  they  yield 
largely  under  rough  field  culture.  The  fruit  can  be  sold 
very  cheaply  and  yet  give  a  fair  profit.  Only  a  limited 
number  of  fancy  berries  can  be  sold  at  fancy  prices,  but 
thousands  of  bushels  can  be  disposed  of  at  eight  and  ten 
cents  per  quart. 

Still,  I  would  advise  any  one  who  is  supplying  the  market, 
thoroughly  to  prepare  and  enrich  an  acre  or  more  of  moist 
but  well  drained  land,  and  plant  some  of  the  large,  showy 
berries,  like  the  Sharpless,  Monarch,  and  Seth  Boyden.  If 
he  has  heavy,  rich  soil,  let  him  also  try  the  Jucunda,  President 
Lincoln,  and,  especially,  the  Triomphe  de  Gand.  These 
varieties  always  have  a  ready  sale,  even  when  the  market  is 
glutted  with  common  fruit,  and  they  often  command  very 
high  prices.  When  the  soil  suits  them,  they  frequently 
yield  crops  that  are  not  so  far  below  the  Wilson  in  quantity. 
Fifty  bushels  of  large,  handsome  berries  may  bring  as  much, 
or  more,  than  one  hundred  bushels  of  small  fruit,  while  the 
labor  and  expense  of  shipping  and  picking  are  reduced 
one-half. 

I  suppose  that  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  of  Irvington,  N.  J., 
obtains  more  money  from  one  acre  of  his  highly  cultivated 
strawberries  than  do  many  growers  from  ten  acres.  Mr.  H. 
Jerolaman,  of  Hilton,  N.  J.,  has  given  me  some  accurate 
statistics  that  well  illustrate  my  meaning.  "  My  yield,"  he 
writes,  in  1877,  "from  one  acre,  planted  chiefly  with  the 
Seth  Boyden,  was  327  bushels  15^  quarts,  which  were  sold 
for  $1,386.21.  A  strict  account  was  kept.  Since  that  time 


VARIETIES,    CHARACTER,  ETC.  131 

I  have  been  experimenting  with  Mr.  Durand's  large  berries, 
and  have  not  done  so  well.  In  1878, 1  obtained  $1,181 
from  one  acre,  one-half  planted  with  the  Seth  Boyden  and 
the  other  with  the  Great  American.  The  year  of  1879  was 
my  poorest.  Nearly  all  my  plants  were  Great  American 
and  Beauty,  and  the  yield  was  121  bushels,  selling  for  $728. 
The  average  cost  per  acre,  for  growing,  picking,  marketing, 
and  manure,  is  $350.  I  am  not  satisfied  but  that  I  shall 
have  to  return  to  the  old  Seth  Boyden  in  order  to  keep  tak- 
ing the  first  State  premiums,  as  I  have  done  for  the  past 
three  years." 

This  record  of  experience  shows  what  can  be  done  with 
the  choice  varieties  if  an  appreciative  market  is  within 
reach,  and  one  will  give  the  high  culture  they  demand. 
Last  summer  a  neighbor  of  mine  obtained  eighteen  cents 
per  quart  for  his  Monarch  strawberries,  when  Wilsons 
brought  but  ten  cents.  At  the  same  time,  these  superb 
varieties  often  do  not  pay  at  all  under  poor  field  culture  and 
in  matted  rows.  We  may  also  note,  in  passing,  how  slowly 
fine  old  standard  kinds,  like  the  Boyden,  are  superseded  by 
new  varieties. 

I  should  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  the  Charles  Downing 
became  one  of  the  most  popular  market  strawberries  of  the 
future.  It  is  already  taking  the  lead  in  many  localities.  It 
is  moderately  firm  —  sufficiently  so,  with  a  little  extra,  care,  to 
reach  most  markets  in  good  condition.  It  is  more  easily 
raised  than  the  Wilson,  and  on  thin,  dry  land  is  more  pro- 
ductive. A  bed  will  last,  if  kept  clean,  four  or  five  years 
instead  of  two,  and  yield  better  the  fifth  year  than  the  first. 
Although  the  fruit  is  but  of  medium  size,  it  is  so  fine  in 
flavor  that  it  has  only  to  be  known  to  create  a  steady  de- 
mand. The  Kentucky  Seedling  is  another  berry  of  the  same 
class,  and  has  the  same  general  characteristics, —  with  this 


132  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

exception,  that  it  is  a  very  late  berry.  In  flavor,  it  is  melt- 
ing and  delicious.  It  does  well  on  almost  any  soil,  even  a 
light  and  sandy  one,  and  is  usually  very  productive. 

The  best  white  strawberry  I  have  ever  seen  is  Lennig's 
White.  When  exposed  to  the  sun,  it  has  a  decided  pink 
flush  on  one  side.  It  is  beautiful  and  delicious,  and  so  aro- 
matic that  a  single  berry  will  perfume  a  large  apartment. 
The  fruit  is  exceedingly  delicate,  but  the  plant  is  a  shy 
bearer. 

In  the  White  and  Red  Alpines,  especially  the  ever-bear- 
ing varieties,  and  in  the  Hautbois  class,  we  have  very  dis- 
tinct strawberries  that  are  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  the 
garden.  From  a  commercial  point  of  view,  they  have  no 
value.  This  may  settle  the  question  with  some,  but  not  a 
few  of  us  like  to  plant  many  things  that  are  never  to  go  to 
market. 

In  conclusion,  if  I  were  asked  what  is  the  most  beautiful 
and  delicious  strawberry  in  existence,  I  should  name  the 
President  Wilder.  Perfect  in  flavor,  form  and  beauty,  it 
seems  to  unite  in  one  exquisite  compound  the  best  qualities 
of  the  two  great  strawberry  species  of  the  world,  the  F. 
Virginiana  and  the  F.  Chilensis.  The  only  fault  that  I 
have  ever  discovered  is  that,  in  many  localities,  it  is  not 
productive.  No  more  do  diamonds  lie  around  like  cobble- 
stones. It  is,  however,  fairly  productive  under  good  culture 
and  on  most  soils,  and  yet  it  is  possible  that  not  one  in  a 
hundred  of  the  habitues  of  Delmonico's  has  ever  tasted  it. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SETTING  OUT   PLANTS. 

T  X  7E  may  secure  good  plants  of  the  best  varieties,  but  if 
*  we  do  not  set  them  out  properly  the  chances  are 

against  our  success,  unless  the  weather  is  very  favorable. 
So  much  depends  on  a  right  start  in  life,  even  in  a  straw- 
berry bed.  There  are  no  abstruse  difficulties  in  properly 
imbedding  a  plant.  One  would  think  that  if  a  workman 
gave  five  minutes'  thought  and  observation  to  the  subject, 
he  would  know  exactly  how  to  do  it.  If  one  used  his  head 
as  well  as  his  hands,  it  would  be  perfect"./  obvious  that  a 
plant  held  (as  in  Figure  e)  with  its  roots  spread  out  so  that 
the  fresh,  moist  earth  could  come  in  contact  with  each  fibre, 
would  stand  a  far  better  chance  than  one  set  out  by  any  of 
the  other  methods  illustrated.  And  yet,'  in  spite  of  all  I  can 
do  or  say,  I  have  never  been  able  to  prevent  very  many  of 
my  plants  from  being  set  (as  in  Figure  a)  too  deeply,  so 
that  the  crown  and  tender  leaves  were  covered  and  smoth- 
ered with  earth ;  or  (as  in  Figure  b)  not  deeply  enough, 
thus  leaving  the  roots  exposed.  Many  others  bury  the  roots 
in  a  long,  tangled  bunch,  as  in  Figure  c.  If  one  would  ob- 
serve how  a  plant  starts  on  its  new  career,  he  would  see  that 
the  roots  we  put  in  the  ground  are  little  more  than  a  base 
of  operations.  All  along  their  length,  and  at  their  ends,  little 
white  rootlets  start,  if  the  conditions  are  favorable,  almost 
immediately.  If  the  roots  are  huddled  together,  so  that 
only  a  few  outside  ones  are  in  contact  with  the  life-giving 


SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

soil,  the  conditions  are  of  course  most  unfavorable.  Again, 
many  planters  are  guilty  of  the  folly  illustrated  in  Figure  d. 
They  hastily  scoop  out  a  shallow  hole,  in  which  the  roots, 
which  should  be  down  in  the  cool  depths  of  the  soil,  curve 
like  a  half-circle  toward  or  to  the  very  surface. 

In  the  most  favorable  weather  of  early  spring  a  plant  is 
almost  certain  to  grow,  no  matter  how  greatly  abused ;  but 


Wrong  Methodi  of  Planting. 

even  then  it  does  far  better  if  treated  properly,  while  at 
other  seasons  nature  cannot  be  stupidly  ignored.  It  is  al- 
most as  easy  to  set  out  a  plant  correctly  as  otherwise.  Let 
the  excavation  be  made  deep  enough  to  put  the  roots,  spread 
out  like  a  fan,  down  their  whole  length  into  the  soil.  Hold 
the  plant  with  the  left  hand,  as  in  Figure  e.  First,  half  fill 
the  hole  with  fine  rich  earth  with  the  right  hand,  and  press 


SETTING  OUT  PLANTS.  135 

ft  firmly  against  the  roots;  next,  fill  it  evenly,  and  then, 
with  the  thumb  and  finger  of  both  hands,  put  your  whole 
weight  on  the  soil  on  each  side  of  the  plant  —  as  close  to  it 
as  possible  —  and  press  until  the  crown  or  point  from  which 
the  leaves  start  is  just  even  with  the  surface.  If  you  can 
pull  the  plant  up  again  by 
its  leaves,  it  is  not  firm 
enough  in  the  ground.  If 
a  man  uses  brain  and  eye, 
he  can  learn  to  work  very 
rapidly.  By  one  dexterous 
movement  he  scoops  the  ex- 
cavation with  a  trowel.  By 
a  second  movement,  he 
makes  the  earth  firm  against 

The  Proper  Method. 

the  lower  half  of  the  roots. 

By  a  third  movement,  he  fills  the  excavation  and  settles 
the  plant  into  its  final  position.  One  workman  will  often 
plant  twice  as  many  as  another,  and  not  work  any  harder. 
Negro  women  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  paid  at  fifty  cents  per 
day,  will  often  set  two  or  three  thousand.  Many  North- 
em  laborers,  who  ask  more  than  twice  that  sum,  will  not 
set  half  as  many  plants.  I  have  been  told  of  one  man, 
however,  who  could  set  1,000  per  hour.  I  should  examine 
his  work  carefully,  however,  in  the  fear  that  it  was  not  well 
done. 

If  the  ground  is  so  flat  that  water  lies  upon  it  in  wet  sea- 
sons, then  throw  it  up  into  beds  with  a  plow,  thus  giving  the 
plants  a  broad,  level  surface  on  which  to  grow ;  for  I  think 
the  best  success  will  generally  be  obtained  with  level  cul- 
ture, or  as  near  an  approach  to  it  as  possible. 

Always  make  it  a  point  to  plant  in  moist,  freshly  stirred 
earth.  Never  let  the  roots  come  in  contact  with  dry,  lumpy 


136  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

soil.  Never  plant  when  the  ground  is  wet  and  sticky,  unless 
it  be  at  the  beginning  of  a  rain-storm  which  bids  fair  to  con- 
tinue for  some  time.  If  sun  or  wind  strikes  land  which  has 
been  recently  stirred  while  it  is  too  wet,  the  hardness  of 
mortar  results. 

In  spring  it  is  best  to  shorten  in  the  roots  one  third. 
This  promotes  a  rapid  growth  of  new  rootlets,  and  there- 
fore of  the  plants.  In  the  summer  and  fall  the  young 
plants  are  not  so  well  furnished  with  roots,  and  usually  it 
is  best  to  leave  them  uncut. 


Root  Pruning. 

It  often  happens  that  during  long  transportation  the  roots 
become  sour,  black,  and  even  a  little  mouldy.  In  this  case, 
wash  them  in  clean  water  from  which  the  chill  has  been 
taken.  Trim  carefully,  taking  off  the  blackened,  shrivelled 
ends.  Sprinkle  a  couple  of  table-spoonfuls  of  fine  bone 


SETTING  OUT  PLANTS.  137 

meal  immediately  about  the  plant  after  setting,  and  then 
water  it.  If  the  weather  is  warm,  soak  the  ground  and 
keep  it  moist  until  there  is  rain.  Never  let  a  plant  falter 
or  go  back  from  lack  of  moisture. 

How  often  should  one  water?  Often  enough  to  keep 
the  ground  moist  all  the  time,  night  and  day.  There  is 
nothing  mechanical  in  taking  care  of  a  young  plant  any 
more  than  in  the  care  of  a  baby.  Simply  give  it  what  it 
needs  until  it  is  able  to  take  care  of  itself.  The  plant  may 
require  a  little  watching  and  attention  for  a  few  days  in 
warm  weather.  If  an  opportune  storm  comes,  the  ques- 
tion of  growth  is  settled  favorably  at  once ;  but  if  a  "  dry 
spell "  ensues,  be  vigilant.  At  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  even  well- 
watered  plants  may  begin  to  wilt,  showing  that  they  require 
shade,  which  may  be  supplied  by  inverted  flower-pots,  old 
berry-baskets,  shingles  or  boards.  A  handful  of  weeds, 
grass,  or  even  of  dry  earth,  thrown  on  the  crown  of  the 
plant  in  the  morning,  and  removed  by  five  p.  M.,  is  prefer- 
able to  nothing.  Anything  is  better  than  stolidly  sticking  a 
plant  in  the  ground  and  leaving  it  alone  just  long  enough  to 
die.  Many,  on  the  other  hand,  kill  their  plants  with  kind- 
ness. They  dose  the  young  things  with  guano,  unfermented 
manure,  and  burn  them  up.  Coolness,  moisture,  and  shade 
are  the  conditions  for  a  new  start  in  life. 

As  has  been  explained  already,  pot-grown  plants,  with  a 
ball  of  earth  clinging  to  their  roots,  can  be  set  out  during 
the  hot  months  with  great  ease,  and  with  little  danger  of 
loss.  At  the  same  time,  let  me  distinctly  say  that  such 
plants  require  fair  treatment.  The  ground  should  be 
"  firmed  "  around  them  just  as  strongly,  and  they  should 
be  so  well  watched  as  to  guard  against  the  slightest  wilting 
from  heat  and  drought. 

In  ordinary  field  culture,  let  the  rows  be  three  feet  apart, 


138  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

and  let  the  plants  stand  one  foot  from  each  other  in  a  row. 
At  this  distance,  14,520  are  required  for  an  acre.  When 
land  is  scarce,  the  rows  can  be  two  and  a  half  feet  from 
each  other.  In  garden  culture,  where  the  plow  and  culti- 
vator will  not  be  used,  there  should  be  two  feet  between  the 
rows,  and  the  plants  should  be  one  foot  apart  as  before. 
With  this  rule  in  mind,  any  one  can  readily  tell  how  many 
plants  he  will  need  for  a  given  area. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CULTIVATION. 

*"PHE  field  for  experiment  in  cultivation  with  different 
•^       fertilizers,    soils,    climates,  and   varieties   is  indeed  a 
wide  one,  and   yet  for  practical  purposes   the  question  is 
simple  enough. 

There  are  three  well-known  systems  of  cultivation,  each 
of  which  has  its  advantages  and  disadvantages.  The  first 
is  termed  the  "  matted  bed  system."  Under  this  plan  the 
ground  between  the  rows  is  cultivated  and  kept  clean  dur- 
ing the  spring  and  early  summer.  As  soon,  however,  as  the 
new  runners  begin  to  push  out  vigorously,  cultivation  ceases, 
or  else,  with  the  more  thorough,  the  cultivator  is  narrowed 
down  till  it  stirs  scarcely  more  than  a  foot  of  surface,  care 
being  taken  to  go  up  one  row  and  down  another,  so  as  al- 
ways to  draw  the  runners  one  way.  This  prevents  them 
from  being  tangled  up  and  broken  off.  By  winter,  the 
entire  ground  is  covered  with  plants,  which  are  protected 
as  will  be  explained  further  on.  In  the  spring  the  coarsest 
of  the  covering  is  raked  off,  and  between  the  rows  is  dug  a 
space  about  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  wide,  which  serves  as  a 
path  for  the  pickers.  This  path  is  often  cheaply  and  quickly 
made  by  throwing  two  light  furrows  together  with  a  corn 
plow.  Under  this  system,  the  first  crop  is  usually  the  best, 
and  in  strong  lands  adapted  to  grasses  the  beds  often  be- 
come so  foul  that  it  does  not  pay  to  leave  them  to  bear  a 
second  year,  If  so,  they  are  plowed  under  as  soon  as  the 


140  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

fruit  has  been  gathered.  More  often  two  crops  are  taken, 
and  then  the  land  is  put  in  some  other  crop  for  a  year  or 
two  before  being  planted  with  strawberries  again.  This 
rude,  inexpensive  system  is  perhaps  more  followed  than  any 
other.  It  is  best  adapted  to  light  soils  and  cheap  lands. 
Where  an  abundance  of  cool  fertilizers  has  been  used,  or  the 
ground  has  been  generously  prepared  with  green  crops, 
plowed  under,  the  yield  is  often  large  and  profitable.  But 
as  often  it  is  quite  the  reverse,  especially  if  the  season 
proves  dry  and  hot.  Usually,  plants  sodded  together  can- 
not mature  fine  fruit,  especially  after  they  have  exhausted 
half  their  vitality  in  running.  In  clayey  loams,  the  surface 
in  the  matted  rows  becomes  as  hard  as  a  brick.  Light 
showers  make  little  impression  on  it,  and  the  fruit  often 
dries  upon  the  vines.  Remembering  that  the  strawberry's 
chief  need  is  moisture,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  can  scarcely  be 
maintained  in  a  hard-matted  sod.  Under  this  system  the 
fruit  is  small  at  best,  and  it  all  matures  together.  If 
adopted  in  the  garden,  the  family  has  but  a  few  days  of 
berries  instead  of  a  few  weeks.  The  marketman  may  find 
his  whole  crop  ripening  at  a  time  of  over-supply,  and  his 
small  berries  may  scarcely  pay  for  picking.  To  many  of 
this  class  the  cheapness  of  the  system  will  so  commend 
itself  that  they  will  continue  to  practise  it  until  some  enter- 
prising neighbor  teaches  them  better,  by  his  larger  cash 
returns.  In  the  garden,  however,  it  is  the  most  expensive 
method.  When  the  plants  are  sodded  together,  the  hoe 
and  fork  cannot  be  used.  The  whole  space  must  be 
weeded  by  hand,  and  there  are  some  pests  whose  roots 
interlace  horizontally  above  and  below  the  ground,  and 
which  cannot  be  eradicated  from  the  matted  rows.  Too 
often,  therefore,  even  in  the  neatest  garden,  the  strawberry 
bed  is  the  place  where  vegetable  evil  triumphs. 


CUL  TIVA  TION.  1 4 1 

There  are  modifications  of  this  system  that  are  seen  to 
better  advantage  on  paper  than  in  the  field  or  garden. 
The  one  most  often  described  in  print  —  I  have  never  seen 
it  working  successfully  —  may  be  termed  the  "  renewal 
system."  Instead  of  plowing  the  matted  beds  under,  after 
the  first  or  second  crop,  the  paths  between  the  beds  are 
enriched  and  spaded  or  plowed.  The  old  plants  are  al- 
lowed to  fill  these  former  paths  with  new  plants ;  which 
process  being  completed,  the  old  matted  beds  are  turned 
under,  and  the  new  plants  that  have  taken  the  places  of  the 
paths  bear  the  fruit  of  the  coming  year.  But  suppose 
the  old  beds  have  within  them  sorrel,  white  clover,  wire- 
grass,  and  a  dozen  other  perennial  enemies,  what  prac- 
tical man  does  not  know  that  these  pests  will  fill  the  vacant 
spaces  faster  than  can  the  strawberry  plants  ?  There  is  no 
chance  for  cultivation  by  hoe  or  horse  power.  Only  fre- 
quent and  laborious  weedings  by  hand  can  prevent  the  evil, 
and  this  but  partially,  for,  as  has  been  said,  the  roots  of 
many  weeds  are  out  of  reach  unless  there  is  room  for  the 
fork,  hoe,  or  cultivator  to  go  beneath  them. 

In  direct  contrast  with  the  above  is  the  "  hill  system." 
This,  in  brief,  may  be  suggested  by  saying  that  the  straw- 
berry plants  are  set  out  three  feet  —  more  or  less  —  apart, 
and  treated  like  hills  of  corn,  with  the  exception  that  the 
ground  is  kept  level,  or  should  be.  They  are  often  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  cultivator  can  pass  between  them  each  way, 
thus  obviating  nearly  all  necessity  for  hand  work.  When 
carried  out  to  such  an  extent,  I  consider  this  plan  more  ob- 
jectionable than  the  former,  especially  at  the  North.  In  the 
first  place,  when  the  plants  are  so  distant  from  each  other, 
much  of  the  ground  is  left  unoccupied  and  unproductive. 
In  the  second  place,  the  fruit  grower  is  at  the  mercy  of  the 
strawberry's  worst  enemy,  the  Lachnosterna,  or  white  grub. 


142  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Few  fields  in  our  region  are  wholly  free  from  them,  and  a 
few  of  the  voracious  pests  would  leave  the  ground  bare,  for 
they  devour  the  roots  all  summer  long.  In  the  third  place, 
where  so  much  of  the  ground  is  unoccupied,  the  labor  of 
mulching,  so  that  the  soil  can  be  kept  moist  and  the  fruit 
clean  is  very  great. 

In  small  garden-plots,  when  the  plants  can  be  set  only  two 
feet  apart  each  way,  the  results  of  this  system  are  often  most 
admirable.  The  entire  spaces  between  them  can  be  kept 
mellow  and  loose,  and  therefore  moist.  There  is  room  to 
dig  out  and  eradicate  the  roots  of  the  worst  weeds.  By  fre- 
quently raking  the  ground  over,  the  annual  weeds  do  not 
get  a  chance  to  start.  In  the  rich  soil  the  plants  make 
great,  bushy  crowns  that  nearly  touch  each  other,  and  as 
they  begin  to  blossom,  the  whole  space  between  them  can 
be  mulched  with  straw,  grass,  etc.  The  runners  can  easily 
be  cut  away  when  the  plants  are  thus  isolated.  Where 
there  are  not  many  white  grubs  in  the  soil,  the  hill  system 
is  well  adapted  to  meet  garden  culture,  and  the  result,  in  a 
prolonged  season  of  large,  beautiful  fruit,  will  be  most  satis- 
factory. Moreover,  the  berries,  being  exposed  on  all  sides 
to  the  sun,  will  be  of  the  best  flavor. 

In  the  South,  the  hill  system  is  the  only  one  that  can  be 
adopted  to  advantage.  There  the  plants  are  set  in  the 
summer  and  autumn,  and  the  crop  is  taken  from  them  the 
following  spring.  Therefore  each  plant  must  be  kept  from 
running,  and  be  stimulated  to  do  its  best  within  a  given 
space  of  time.  In  the  South,  however,  the  plants  are  set 
but  one  foot  apart  in  the  rows,  and  thus  little  space  is  lost. 

I  am  satisfied  that  the  method  best  adapted  to  our  East- 
ern and  Western  conditions  is  what  is  termed  the  "  narrow 
row  system,"  believing  that  it  will  give  the  greatest  amount 
of  fine  fruit  with  the  least  degree  of  trouble  and  expense. 


CULTIVATION. 


143 


The  plants  are  set  one  foot  from  each  other  in  line,  and  not 
allowed  to  make  runners.  In  good  soil,  they  will  touch 
each  other  after  one  year's  growth,  and  make  a  continuous 
bushy  row.  The  spaces  between  the  rows  may  be  two  and 


Narrow  Row  and  Hill   Systems. 

a  half  to  three  feet.  Through  these  spaces  the  cultivator 
can  be  run  as  often  as  you  please,  and  the  ground  can  be 
thus  kept  clean,  mellow,  and  moist.  The  soil  can  be  worked 
—  not  deeply,  of  course  —  within  an  inch  or  two  of  the 
plants,  and  thus  but  little  space  is  left  for  hand-weeding. 
I  have  found  this  latter  task  best  accomplished  by  a  simple 
tool  made  of  a  fork-tine,  with  a  section  of  the  top  left  at- 
tached, thus :  T-  Old  broken  forks  can  thus  be  utilized. 
This  tool  can  be  thrust  deeply  between  the  plants  without 
disturbing  many  roots,  and  the  most  stubborn  weed  can  bf 


144  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

pried  out.  Under  this  system,  the  ground  is  occupied  to 
the  fullest  extent  that  is  profitable.  The  berries  are  exposed 
to  light  and  air  on  either  side,  and  mulch  can  be  applied 
with  the  least  degree  of  trouble.  The  feeding-ground  for 
the  roots  can  be  kept  mellow  by  horse-power ;  if  irrigation 
is  adopted,  the  spaces  between  the  rows  form  the  natural 
channels  for  the  water.  Chief  of  all,  it  is  the  most  success- 
ful way  of  fighting  the  white  grub.  These  enemies  are  not 
found  scattered  evenly  through  the  soil,  but  abound  in 
patches.  Here  they  can  be  dug  out  if  not  too  numerous, 
and  the  plants  allowed  to  run  and  fill  up  the  gaps.  To  all 
intents  and  purposes,  the  narrow  row  system  is  hill  culture 
with  the  evils  of  the  latter  subtracted.  Even  where  it  is  not 
carried  out  accurately,  and  many  plants  take  root  in  the 
rows,  most  of  them  will  become  large,  strong,  and  produc- 
tive under  the  hasty  culture  which  destroys  the  greater  num- 
ber of  the  side-runners. 

Where  this  system  is  fairly  tried,  the  improvement  in  the 
quality,  size,  and,  therefore,  measuring  bulk  of  the  crop,  is 
astonishing.  This  is  especially  true  of  some  varieties,  like 
the  Duchess,  which,  even  in  a  matted  bed,  tends  to  stool 
out  into  great  bushy  plants.  Doctor  Thurber,  editor  of  the 
"American  Agriculturist"  unhesitatingly  pronounced  it  the 
most  productive  and  best  early  variety  in  my  specimen-bed, 
containing  fifty  different  kinds.  If  given  a  chance  to  de- 
velop its  stooling-out  qualities,  it  is  able  to  compete  even 
with  the  Crescent  and  Wilson  in  productiveness.  At  the 
same  time  its  fruit  becomes  large,  and  as  regular  in  shape 
as  if  turned  with  a  lathe.  Many  who  have  never  tried  this 
system  would  be  surprised  to  find  what  a  change  for  the 
better  it  makes  in  the  old  popular  kinds,  like  the  Charles 
Downing,  Kentucky,  and  Wilson.  The  Golden  Defiance 
also,  which  is  so  vigorous  in  the  matted  beds  that  weeds 


CUL  TIVA  TION:  1 45 

Stand  but  little  chance  before  it,  almost  doubles  in  size  and 
productiveness  if  restricted  to  a  narrow  row. 

The  following  remarks  will  have  reference  to  this  system, 
as  I  consider  it  the  best.  We  will  start  with  plants  that 
have  just  been  set  out.  If  fruit  is  our  aim,  we  should  re- 
member that  the  first  and  strongest  impulse  of  each  plant 
will  be  to  propagate  itself;  but  to  the  degree  that  it  does 
so  it  lessens  its  own  vitality  and  power  to  produce  berries 
the  following  season.  Therefore  every  runner  that  a  plant 
makes  means  so  much  less  and  so  much  smaller  fruit  from 
that  plant.  Remove  the  runners  as  they  appear,  and  the 
life  of  the  plant  goes  to  make  vigorous  foliage  and  a  corres- 
pondingly large  fruit  bud.  The  sap  is  stored  up  as  a  miller 
collects  and  keeps  for  future  use  the  water  of  a  stream. 
Moreover,  a  plant  thus  curbed  abounds  in  vitality  and  does 
not  throw  down  its  burden  of  prematurely  ripe  fruit  after  a 
few  hot  days.  It  works  evenly  and  continuously,*as  strength 
only  can,  and  leisurely  perfects  the  last  berry  on  the  vines. 
You  will  often  find  blossoms  and  ripe  fruit  on  the  same  plant 
—  something  rarely  seen  where  the  plants  are  crowded  and 
the  soil  dry.  I  have  had  rows  of  Triomphe  de  Gand  in 
bearing  for  seven  weeks. 

With  these  facts  before  us,  the  culture  of  strawberries  is 
simple  enough.  A  few  days  after  planting,  as  soon  as  it  is 
evident  that  they  will  live,  stir  the  surface  just  about  them 
not  more  than  half  an  inch  deep.  Insist  on  this ;  for  most 
workmen  will  half  hoe  them  out  of  the  ground.  A  fine- 
tooth  rake  is  one  of  the  best  tools  for  stirring  the  surface 
merely.  After  the  plants  become  well  rooted,  keep  the 
ground  mellow  and  clean  as  you  would  between  any  other 
hoed  crop,  using  horse-power  as  far  as  possible,  since  it  is 
the  cheapest  and  most  effective.  If  the  plants  have  been 
set  out  in  spring,  take  off  the  fruit  buds  as  soon  as  they  ap- 

10 


146  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FKUITS. 

pear.  Unless  the  plants  are  very  strong  and  are  set  out 
very  early,  fruiting  the  same  year  means  feebleness  and  often 
death.  If  berries  are  wanted  within  a  year,  the  plants  must 
be  set  in  summer  or  autumn.  Then  they  can  be  permitted 
to  bear  all  they  will  the  following  season.  A  child  with  a 
pair  of  shears  or  a  knife,  not  too  dull,  can  easily  keep  a 
large  garden-plot  free  from  runners,  unless  there  are  long  pe- 
riods of  neglect.  Half  an  hour's  work  once  a  week,  in  the  cool 
of  the  evening,  will  be  sufficient.  A  boy  paid  at  the  rate  of 
twenty-five  cents  a  day  can  keep  acres  clipped  if  he  tries. 

If  the  ground  were  poor,  or  one  were  desirous  of  large 
fruit,  it  would  be  well  to  give  a  liberal  autumn  top-dressing 
of  fine  compost  or  any  well-rotted  fertilizer  not  contain- 
ing crude  lime.  Bone-dust  and  wood-ashes  are  excellent. 
Scatter  this  along  the  rows,  and  hoe  it  in  the  last  time  they 
are  cultivated  in  the  fall. 

With  the  exception  of  guano  and  other  quick-acting 
stimulants,  I  believe  in  fall  top-dressing.  The  melting 
snows  and  March  rains  carry  the  fertilizing  properties  down 
to  the  roots,  which  begin  growing  and  feeding  very  early  in 
spring.  If  compost  or  barn-yard  manure  is  used,  it  aids  in 
protecting  the  plants  during  the  winter,  warms  and  mellows 
the  soil,  and  starts  them  into  a  prompt,  vigorous  growth, 
thus  enabling  them  to  store  up  sufficient  vitality  in  the 
cool  growing  season  to  produce  large  fruit  in  abundance. 
If  top-dressings  are  applied  in  the  spring,  and  a  dry  period 
follows,  they  scarcely  reach  the  roots  m  time  to  aid  in 
forming  the  fruit  buds.  The  crop  of  the  following  year, 
however,  will  be  increased.  Of  course,  it  is  far  better  to 
top-dress  the  rows  in  spring  than  not  at  all.  I  only  wish  to 
suggest  that  usually  the  best  results  are  obtained  by  doing 
this  work  in  the  fall ;  and  this  would  be  true  especially  of 
heavy  soils. 


CUL  TIVA  TION".  147 

When  the  ground  begins  to  freeze,  protect  the  plants  for 
the  winter  by  covering  the  rows  lightly  with  straw,  leaves, 
or  —  better  than  all  —  with  light,  strawy  horse-manure,  that 
has  been  piled  up  to  heat  and  turned  over  once  or  twice,  so 
that  in  its  violent  fermentation  all  grass  seeds  have  been 
killed.  Do  not  cover  so  heavily  as  to  smother  the  plants, 
nor  so  lightly  that  the  wind  and  rains  will  dissipate  the 
mulch.  Your  aim  is  not  to  keep  the  plants  from  freezing, 
but  from  freezing  and  thawing  with  every  alternation  of  our 
variable  winters  and  springs.  On  ordinarily  dry  land  two  or 
three  inches  of  light  material  is  sufficient.  Moreover,  the 
thawing  out  of  the  fruit  buds  or  crown,  under  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun,  injures  them,  I  think.  Most  of  the  damage 
is  done  in  February  and  March.  The  good  gardener 
watches  his  plants,  adds  to  the  covering  where  it  has  been 
washed  away  or  is  insufficient,  and  drains  off  puddles,  which 
are  soon  fatal  to  all  the  plants  beneath  them.  Wet  ground, 
moreover,  heaves  ten  times  as  badly  as  that  which  is  dry. 
If  one  neglects  to  do  these  things,  he  may  find  half  of  the 
plants  thrown  out  of  the  ground,  after  a  day  or  two  of  alter- 
nate freezing  and  thawing.  Good  drainage  alone,  with 
three  or  four  inches  of  covering  of  light  material,  can  pre- 
vent this,  although  some  varieties,  like  the  Golden  Defiance, 
seem  to  resist  the  heaving  action  of  frost  remarkably. 
Never  cover  with  hot,  heavy  manure,  nor  too  deeply  with 
leaves,  as  the  rains  beat  these  down  too  flatly.  Let  the 
winter  mulch  not  only  cover  the  row,  but  reach  a  foot  on 
either  side. 

Just  before  very  cold  weather  begins,  —  from  the  middle 
of  November  to  December  ist,  in  our  latitude, — we  may, 
if  we  choose,  cover  our  beds  so  deeply  with  leaves,  or  litter 
of  some  kind,  as  to  keep  out  the  frost  completely.  We  thus 
may  be  able  to  dig  plants  on  mild  winter  days  and  early 


148  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

spring,  in  case  we  have  orders  from  the  far  South.  This 
heavy  covering  should  be  lightened  sufficiently  early  in  the 
spring  to  prevent  smothering.  Plants  well  protected  have 
a  fine  green  appearance  early  in  spring,  and,  even  if  no 
better,  will  give  much  better  satisfaction  than  those  whose 
leaves  are  sere  and  black  from  frost. 

As  the  weather  begins  to  grow  warm  in  March,  push  aside 
the  covering  a  little  from  the  crown  of  the  plants,  so  as  to 
let  in  air.  If  early  fruit  is  desired,  the  mulch  can  be  raked 
aside  and  the  ground  worked  between  the  rows,  as  soon  as 
danger  of  severe  frost  is  over.  If  late  fruit  is  wanted,  let  in 
air  to  the  crown  of  the  plants,  but  leave  the  mulch  on  the 
ground,  which  is  thus  shielded  from  the  sun,  warm  showers, 
and  the  south  wind,  for  two  or  three  weeks. 

I  have  now  reached  a  point  at  which  I  differ  from  most 
horticultural  writers.  As  a  rule,  it  is  advised  that  there  be 
no  spring  cultivation  of  bearing  plants.  It  has  been  said 
that  merely  pushing  the  winter  mulch  aside  sufficiently  to 
let  the  new  growth  come  through  is  all  that  is  needed.  I 
admit  that  the  results  are  often  satisfactory  under  this 
method,  especially  if  there  has  been  deep,  thorough  culture 
in  the  fall,  and  if  the  mulch  between  and  around  the  plants 
is  very  abundant.  At  the  same  time,  I  have  so  often  seen 
unsatisfactory  results  that  I  take  a  decided  stand  in  favor  of 
spring  cultivation  if  done  properly  and  sufficiently  early. 
I  think  my  reasons  will  commend  themselves  to  practical 
men.  Even  where  the  soil  has  been  left  mellow  by  fall 
cultivation,  the  beating  rains  and  the  weight  of  melting 
snows  pack  the  earth.  All  loamy  land  settles  and  tends  to 
grow  hard  after  the  frost  leaves  it.  While  the  mulch  checks 
this  tendency,  it  cannot  wholly  prevent  it.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  spaces  between  the  rows  are  seldom  thoroughly 
loosened  late  in  the  fall.  The  mulch  too  often  is  scattered 


CULTIVATION.  149 

over  a  comparatively  hard  surface,  which  by  the  following 
June  has  become  so  solid  as  to  suffer  disastrously  from 
drought  in  the  blossoming  and  bearing  season.  I  have  seen 
well-mulched  fields  with  their  plants  faltering  and  wilting, 
unable  to  mature  the  crop  because  the  ground  had  become 
so  hard  that  an  ordinary  shower  could  make  but  little  im- 
pression. Moreover,  even  if  kept  moist  by  the  mulch,  land 
long  shielded  from  sun  and  air  tends  to  become  sour,  heavy, 
and  devoid  of  that  life  which  gives  vitality  and  vigor  to  the 
plant.  The  winter  mulch  need  not  be  laboriously  raked 
from  the  garden-bed  or  field,  and  then  carted  back  again. 
Begin  on  one  side  of  a  plantation  and  rake  toward  the 
other,  until  three  or  four  rows  and  the  spaces  between  them 
are  bare ;  then  fork  the  spaces,  or  run  the  cultivator  —  often 
the  subsoil  plow  —  deeply  through  them,  and  then  immedi- 
ately, before  the  moist,  newly  made  surface  dries,  rake  the 
winter  mulch  back  into  its  place  as  a  summer  mulch.  Then 
take  another  strip  and  treat  it  in  like  manner,  until  the  gen- 
erous impulse  of  spring  air  and  sunshine  has  been  given  to 
the  soil  of  the  entire  plantation. 

This  spring  cultivation  should  be  done  early  —  as  soon  as 
possible  after  the  ground  is  dry  enough  to  work.  The  roots 
of  a  plant  or  tree  should  never  be  seriously  disturbed  in  the 
blossoming  or  bearing  period ;  and  yet  I  would  rather  stir 
the  surface,  even  when  my  beds  were  in  full  bloom,  than 
leave  it  hard,  baked,  and  dry ;  for,  heed  this  truth  well,  — 
unless  a  plant,  from  the  time  it  blossoms  until  the  fruit  ma- 
tures, has  an  abundance  of  moisture,  it  will  fail  in  almost  the 
exact  proportion  that  moisture  fails.  A  liberal  summer 
mulch  under  and  around  the  plants  not  only  keeps  the  fruit 
clean,  but  renders  a  watering  much  more  lasting,  by  shield- 
ing the  soil  from  the  sun.  Never  sprinkle  the  plants  a  little 
in  dry  weather.  If  you  water  at  all,  soak  the  ground  and 
G— ROE— XVII 


SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

keep  it  moist  all  the  time  till  the  crop  matures.  Insufficient 
watering  will  injure  and  perhaps  destroy  the  best  of  beds. 
But  this  subject  and  that  of  irrigation  will  be  treated  in  a 
later  chapter. 

When  prize  berries  are  sought,  enormous  fruit  can  be  ob- 
tained by  the  use  of  liquid  manure,  but  it  should  be  applied 
with  skill  and  judgment,  or  else  its  very  strength  may  dwarf 
the  plants.  In  this  case,  also,  all  the  little  green  berries, 
save  the  three  or  four  lowest  ones,  may  be  picked  from  the 
fruit  truss,  and  the  force  of  the  plant  will  be  expended  in 
maturing  a  few  mammoth  specimens.  Never  seek  to  stimu- 
late with  plaster  or  lime,  directly.  Other  plants'  meat  is  the 
strawberry's  poison  in  respect  to  the  immediate  action  of 
these  two  agents.  Horse  manure  composted  with  muck, 
vegetable  mold,  wood-ashes,  bone  meal,  and,  best  of  all, 
the  product  of  the  cow-stable,  if  thoroughly  decayed  and 
incorporated  with  the  soil,  will  probably  give  the  largest 
strawberries  that  can  be  grown,  if  steady  moisture,  but  not 
wetness,  is  maintained. 

Many  advise  the  mowing  off  of  the  old  foliage  after  the 
fruit  has  been  gathered.  I  doubt  the  wisdom  of  this  prac- 
tice. The  crowns  of  the  plants  and  the  surface  of  the  bed 
are  laid  open  to  the  midsummer  sun.  The  foliage  is  needed 
to  sustain  or  develop  the  roots.  In  the  case  of  a  few  petted 
and  valuable  plants,  it  might  be  well  to  take  off  some  of  the 
old  dying  leaves,  but  it  seems  reasonable  to  think  that  the 
wholesale  destruction  of  healthful  foliage  must  be  a  severe 
blow  to  the  vitality  of  the  plants.  Still,  the  beds  should 
not  be  left  to  weeds  and  drought.  Neglect  would  be  un- 
gracious, indeed,  just  after  receiving  such  delicious  gifts. 
I  would  advise  that  the  coarsest  of  the  mulch  be  raked  off 
and  stored  for  winter  covering,  and  then  the  remainder 
forked  very  lightly  or  cultivated  into  the  soil,  as  a  fertilizer 


CULTIVATION.  \$l 

immediately  after  a  soaking  rain,  but  not  when  the  ground 
is  dry.  Do  not  disturb  the  roots  of  a  plant  during  a  dry 
period.  Many  advise  a  liberal  manuring  after  the  fruit  is 
gathered.  This  is  the  English  method,  and  is  all  right  in 
their  humid  climate,  but  dangerous  in  our  land  of  hot  suns 
and  long  droughts.  Dark-colored  fertilizers  absorb  and 
intensify  the  heat.  A  sprinkling  of  bone  dust  can  be  used 
to  advantage  as  a  summer  stimulant,  and  stronger  manures, 
containing  a  larger  per  cent  of  nitrogen,  can  be  applied  just 
before  the  late  fall  rains.  A  plant  just  after  bearing  needs 
rest. 

After  fruiting,  the  foliage  of  some  of  our  best  kinds  turns 
red  and  seemingly  burns  and  shrivels  away.  This  is  not 
necessarily  a  disease,  but  merely  the  decay  of  old  leaves 
which  have  fulfilled  their  mission.  From  the  crown  a  new 
and  vigorous  growth  will  eventually  take  their  place. 

When  one  is  engaged  in  the  nursery  business,  the  young 
plants  form  a  crop  far  more  valuable  than  the  fruit.  There- 
fore, every  effort  is  made  to  increase  the  number  of  runners 
rather  than  to  destroy  them.  Stimulating  manures,  which 
promote  a  growth  of  vines  rather  than  of  fruit,  are  the  most 
useful.  The  process  of  rooting  is  often  greatly  hastened  by 
layering;  that  is,  by  pressing  the  incipient  plant  forming 
on  the  runner  into  the  soil,  and  by  laying  on  it  a  pebble  or 
lump  of  earth  to  keep  it  in  its  place.  When  a  bed  is  closely 
covered  with  young  plants  that  have  not  taken  root,  a  top- 
dressing  of  fine  compost  will  greatly  hasten  their  develop- 
ment. Moisture  is  even  more  essential  to  the  nurseryman 
than  to  the  fruit  grower,  and  he  needs  it  especially  during 
the  hot  months  of  July,  August,  and  September,  for  it  is  then 
that  the  new  crop  of  plants  is  growing.  Therefore,  his  need 
of  damp  but  well-drained  ground ;  and  if  the  means  of  irri- 
gation are  within  his  reach,  he  may  accomplish  wonders, 


153  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

and  can  take  two  or  three  crops  of  plants  from  the  same 
area  in  one  season. 

While  the  growing  of  strawberry  plants  may  be  very 
profitable,  it  must  be  expensive,  since  large  areas  must  be 
laboriously  weeded  by  hand  several  times  in  the  season. 
Instead  of  keeping  the  spaces  between  the  rows  clear,  for 
the  use  of  horse-power,  it  is  our  aim  to  have  them  covered 
as  soon  as  possible  with  runners  and  young  plants.  The 
Golden  Defiance,  Crescent  Seedling  and  a  few  others  will 
keep  pace  with  most  weeds,  and  even  master  them ;  but 
nearly  all  varieties  require  much  help  in  the  unequal  fight, 
or  our  beds  become  melancholy  examples  of  the  survival  of 
the  unfittest. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  SOUTHERN  STRAWBERRY   FARM,    AND    METHODS   OF    CULTURE 
IN   THE   SOUTH. 

TTAVING  treated  of  the  planting  of  strawberries,  their 
cultivation,  and  kindred  topics,  in  that  great  northern 
belt,  of  which  a  line  drawn  through  New  York  city  may  be 
regarded  as  the  centre,  I  shall  now  suggest  characteristics 
in  the  culture  of  this  fruit  in  southern  latitudes.  We  need 
not  refer  to  the  oldest  inhabitant,  since  the  middle-aged 
remember  when  even  the  large  cities  of  the  North  were 
supplied  from  the  fields  in  the  suburbs,  and  the  strawberry 
season  in  town  was  identical  with  that  of  the  surrounding 
country.  But  a  marvellous  change  has  taken  place,  and 
berries  from  southern  climes  appear,  in  our  markets  soon 
after  midwinter.  This  early  supply  is  becoming  one  of  the 
chief  industries  of  the  South  Atlantic  coast,  and  every  year 
increases  its  magnitude.  At  one  time,  southern  New  Jersey 
furnished  the  first  berries,  but  Maryland,  Delaware,  and 
Virginia  soon  began  to  compete.  Norfolk  early  took  the 
lead  in  this  trade,  and  even  before  the  war  was  building  up 
a  fine  business.  That  event  cut  off  our  Southern  supply, 
and  for  a  few  years  June  and  strawberries  again  came  to- 
gether. But  after  the  welcome  peace,  many  Southern  fields 
grew  red  once  more,  but  not  with  blood,  and  thronged,  but 
chiefly  by  women  and  children.  Soil,  climate,  and  superb 
water  communications  speedily  restored  to  Norfolk  the  van- 
tage which  she  will  probably  maintain ;  but  fleet  steamers 


154  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

are  giving  more  southern  ports  a  chance.  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  is  second  only  in  importance.  In  the  spring  of 
'79,  every  week  four  steamers  were  loaded  for  New  York, 
and  strawberries  formed  no  insignificant  proportion  of  the 
freight.  Indeed,  the  supply  from  Charleston  was  so  large 
that  the  price  hi  April  scarcely  repaid  the  cost  of  some  ship- 
ments. The  proprietor  of  a  commission  house,  largely  en- 
gaged in  the  Southern  fruit  trade,  told  me  he  thought  that 
about  one  third  as  many  strawberries  came  from  Charleston 
as  from  Norfolk.  From  careful  inquiries  made  on  the 
ground,  I  am  led  to  believe  —  if  it  has  not  already  attained 
this  position  —  that  Norfolk  is  rapidly  becoming  the  largest 
strawberry  centre  in  the  world,  though  Charleston  is  unques- 
tionably destined  to  become  its  chief  rival  in  the  South. 
The  latter  city,  however,  has  not  been  able  to  monopolize 
the  far  Southern  trade,  and  never  have  I  seen  a  finer  field  of 
strawberries  than  was  shown  me  in  the  suburbs  of  Savannah. 
It  consisted  of  a  square  of  four  acres,  set  with  Neunan's 
Prolific,  the  celebrated  Charleston  berry. 

And  now  Florida,  with  its  unrivalled  oranges,  is  beginning 
to  furnish  tons  of  strawberries,  that  begin  ripening  in  our 
midwinter ;  and,  with  its  quick,  sandy  soil  and  sunny  skies, 
threatens  to  render  the  growing  of  this  fruit  under  glass 
unprofitable.  I  saw  last  winter,  at  Mandarin,  quite  an  ex- 
tensive strawberry  farm,  under  the  care  of  Messrs.  Bowen 
Brothers,  and  was  shown  their  skilful  appliances  for  shipping 
the  fruit.  At  Jacksonville,  also,  Captain  William  James  is 
succeeding  finely  in  the  culture  of  some  of  our  Northern 
varieties,  the  Seth  Boyden  taking  the  lead. 

I  think  I  can  better  present  the  characteristics  of  straw- 
berry culture  in  the  South  by  aiming  to  give  a  graphic  pic- 
ture of  the  scenes  and  life  on  a  single  farm  than  is  possible 
by  general  statements  of  what  I  have  witnessed  here  and 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.        155 

there.  I  have  therefore  selected  for  description  a  plantation 
at  Norfolk,  since  this  city  is  the  centre  of  the  largest  trade, 
and  nearly  midway  in  the  Atlantic  strawberry  belt.  I  am 
also  led  to  make  this  choice  because  here  is  to  be  found,  I 
believe,  the  largest  strawberry  farm  in  the  world,  and  its 
varied  labors  illustrate  most  of  the  Southern  aspects  of  the 
question. 

The  reader  may  imagine  himself  joining  our  little  party 
on  a  lovely  afternoon  about  the  middle  of  May.  We  took 
one  of  the  fine,  stanch  steamers  of  the  Old  Dominion  line 
at  three  p.  M.,  and  soon  were  enjoying,  with  a  pleasure  that 
never  palls,  the  sail  from  the  city  to  the  sea.  Our  artistic 
leader,  whose  eye  and  taste  were  to  illumine  and  cast  a 
glamour  over  my  otherwise  matter-of-fact  text,  was  all  aglow 
with  the  varied  beauties  of  the  scene,  and  he  faced  the  pros- 
pect beyond  the  "  Hook  "  with  no  more  misgivings  than  if 
it  were  a  "  painted  ocean."  But  there  are  occasions  when 
the  most  heroic  courage  is  of  no  avail. 

Only  in  the  peace  and  beauty  that  crowned  the  closing 
hours  of  the  day  as  we  steamed  past  Fortress  Monroe  and 
up  the  Elizabeth  river,  did  the  prosaic  fade  out  of  the  hours 
just  past,  and  now  before  us  was  the  "  sunny  South  "  and 
strawberries  and  cream. 

In  the  night  there  was  a  steady  downfall  of  rain,  but  sun- 
shine came  with  the  morning,  and  we  found  that  the  spring 
we  had  left  at  the  North  was  summer  here,  and  saw  that  the 
season  was  moving  forward  with  quickened  and  elastic  tread. 
Before  the  day  grew  warm  we  started  from  our  hotel  at 
Norfolk  for  the  strawberry  plantation,  rattling  and  bouncing 
past  comfortable  and  substantial  homes,  over  a  pavement 
that  surpassed  even  the  ups  and  downs  of  fortune.  Here 
and  there,  surrounded  by  a  high  brick  wall,  would  be  seen 
a  fine  old  mansion,  embowered  in  a  wealth  of  shrubbery  and 


156  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

foliage  that  gave,  even  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  a  suburban 
seclusion.  The  honeysuckle  and  roses  are  at  home  in  Nor- 
folk, and  their  exquisite  perfume  floated  to  us  across  the 
high  garden  fences.  Thank  heaven !  some  of  the  best 
things  in  the. world  cannot  be  walled  in.  St.  Paul's  Church 
and  quaint  old  burying-ground,  shadowed  by  trees,  fes- 
tooned with  vines,  and  gemmed  with  flowers,  seemed  so 
beautiful,  as  we  passed,  that  we  thought  its  influence  on  the 
secular  material  life  of  the  people  must  be  almost  as  good 
through  the  busy  week  as  on  the  Sabbath. 

The  houses  soon  grew  scattering,  and  the  wide,  level, 
open  country  stretched  away  before  us,  its  monotony  broken 
here  and  there  by  groves  of  pine.  The  shell  road  ceased 
and  our  wheels  now  passed  through  many  deep  puddles, 
which  in  Virginia  seem  sacred,  since  they  are  preserved 
year  after  year  in  exactly  the  same  places.  A  more  varied 
class  of  vehicles  than  we  met  from  time  to  time  would 
scarcely  be  seen  on  any  other  road  in  the  country.  There 
were  stylish  city  carriages  and  buggies,  grocer  and  express 
wagons,  great  lumbering  market  trucks  laden  with  barrels 
of  early  cabbages,  spring  wagons,  drawn  by  mules,  piled  up 
with  crates  from  many  a  strawberry  field  in  the  interior,  and 
so,  on  the  descending  scale,  till  we  reach  the  two-wheeled, 
primitive  carts  drawn  by  cows,  —  all  converging  toward  some 
Northern  steamer,  whose  capacious  maw  was  ready  to  re- 
ceive the  produce  of  the  country.  We  had  not  proceeded 
very  far  before  we  saw  in  the  distance  a  pretty  cottage, 
sheltered  by  a  group  of  tall,  primeval  pines,  and  on  the  right 
of  it  a  large  barn-like  building,  with  a  dwelling,  office, 
smithy,  sheds,  etc.,  grouped  about  it.  A  previous  visit 
enabled  me  to  point  out  the  cottage  as  the  home  of  the 
proprietor,  and  to  explain  that  the  seeming  barn  was  a 
strawberry  crate  manufactory.  As  was  the  case  on  large 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.        157 

plantations  in  the  olden  time,  almost  everything  required 
in  the  business  is  made  on  the  place,  and  nearly  every  me- 
chanical trade  has  a  representative  in  Mr.  Young's  employ. 

As  we  drove  up  under  the  pines,  the  proprietor  of  the 
farm  welcomed  us  with  a  cordial  hospitality,  which  he  may 
have  acquired  in  part  from  his  residence  in  the  South.  On 
the  porch  stood  a  slender  lady,  whose  girlish  grace  and 
delicate  beauty  at  once  captivated  the  artists  of  our  party. 

There  was  the  farm  we  had  come  to  see,  stretching  away 
before  us  in  hundreds  of  green,  level  acres.  As  we  drove 
to  a  distant  field  in  which  the  pickers  were  then  engaged, 
we  could  see  the  ripening  berries  with  one  side  blushing 
toward  the  sun.  Passing  a  screen  of  pines,  we  came  out 
into  a  field  containing  thirteen  acres  of  Wilson  strawberries, 
and  then  more  fully  began  to  realize  the  magnitude  of  the 
business.  Scattered  over  the  wide  area,  in  what  seemed 
inextricable  confusion  to  our  uninitiated  eyes,  were  hun- 
dreds of  men,  women,  and  children  of  all  ages  and  shades 
of  color,  and  from  the  field  at  large  came  a  softened  din  of 
voices,  above  the  monotony  of  which  arose  here  and  there 
snatches  of  song,  laughter  mellowed  by  distance,  and  occa- 
sionally the  loud,  sharp  orders  of  the  overseers,  who  stalked 
hither  and  thither,  wherever  their  "  little  brief  authority  " 
was  most  in  requisition. 

We  soon  noted  that  the  confusion  was  more  apparent 
than  real,  and  that  each  picker  was  given  a  row  over  which 
he  —  or,  more  often,  she  —  bent  with  busy  fingers  until  it 
was  finished.  At  central  points  crates  were  piled  up,  and 
men  known  as  "  buyers  "  received  the  round  quart  baskets 
from  the  trays  of  the  pickers,  while  wide  platform  carts, 
drawn  by  mules,  were  bringing  empty  crates  and  carrying 
away  those  that  had  been  filled. 

Along  the  road  that  skirted  the  field,  and  against  a  pretty 


158  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

background  of  half-grown  pines,  motley  forms  and  groups 
were  moving  to  and  fro,  some  seeking  the  "buyers"  with 
full  trays,  others  returning  to  their  stations  in  the  field  with 
a  new  supply  of  empty  baskets.  Some  of  the  pickers  were 
drifting  away  to  other  fields,  a  few  seeking  work  late  in  the 
day;  more,  bargaining  with  the  itinerant  venders  of  pies, 
made  to  last  all  summer  if  not  sold,  gingerbread,  "  pones," 
and  other  nondescript  edibles,  at  which  an  ostrich  would 
hesitate  in  well-grounded  fear  of  indigestion,  but  for  which 
sable  and  semi-sable  pickers  exchange  their  berry  tickets 
and  pennies  as  eagerly  as  we  buy  Vienna  rolls.  Two  or 
three  barouches  and  buggies  that  had  brought  visitors  were 
mingled  with  the  mule-carts ;  and  grouped  together  for  a 
moment  might  be  seen  elegantly  attired  ladies  from  New 
York,  slender  mulatto  girls,  clad  in  a  single  tattered  gown 
which  scantily  covered  their  bare  ankles  and  feet,  and  stout, 
shiny  negro  women,  their  waists  tied  with  a  string  to  prevent 
their  flowing  drapery  from  impeding  their  work.  Flitting 
to  and  fro  were  numberless  colored  children,  bare-headed, 
bare-legged,  and  often  with  not  a  little  of  their  sleek  bodies 
gleaming  through  the  innumerable  rents  of  their  garments, 
their  eyes  glittering  like  black  beads,  and  their  white  teeth 
showing  on  the  slightest  provocation  to  mirth.  Indeed,  the 
majority  of  the  young  men  and  women  were  chattering  and 
laughing  much  of  the  time,  and  only  those  well  in  the 
shadow  of  age  worked  on  in  a  stolid,  plodding  manner. 
Mingled  indiscriminately  with  the  colored  people  were  not  a 
few  white  women  and  children,  and  occasionally  a  white 
man.  As  a  rule,  these  were  better  dressed,  the  white  girls 
wearing  sun-bonnets  of  portentous  size,  whose  cavernous 
depths  would  make  a  search  for  beauty  on  the  part  of  our 
artist  a  rather  close  and  embarrassing  scrutiny.  The  colored 
women  as  often  wore  a  man's  hat  as  any  other,  and  occa- 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN   THE  SOUTH.       159 

sionally  enlivened  the  field  with  a  red  bandana.  Over  all 
the  stooping,  moving,  oddly  apparelled  forms,  a  June-like 
sun  was  shining  with  summer  warmth.  Beyond  the  field  a 
branch  of  Tanner's  Creek  shimmered  in  the  light,  tall  pines 
sighed  in  the  breeze  on  the  right,  and  from  the  copse-wood 
at  their  feet  quails  were  calling,  their  mellow  whistle  blend- 
ing with  the  notes  of  a  wild  Methodist  air.  In  the  distance 
rose  the  spires  of  Norfolk,  completing  a  picture  whose  inter- 
est and  charm  I  have  but  faintly  suggested. 

Several  of  the  overseers  are  negroes,  and  we  were  hardly 
on  the  ground  before  one  of  these  men,  in  the  performance 
of  his  duty,  shouted  in  a  stentorian  voice  :  — 

"  Heah,  you  !  Git  up,  dar,  you  long  man,  off  n  yer 
knees.  What  yo'  mashin'  down  a  half-acre  o'  berries 
fer?  " 

Mr.  Sheppard  was  quick  to  see  a  good  subject,  and  al- 
most in  a  flash  he  had  the  man  posed  and  motionless  in  his 
attitude  of  authority,  and  under  his  rapid  strokes  Jackson 
won  fame  and  eminence,  going  to  his  work  a  little  later  the 
hero  of  the  field.  The  overseer's  task  is  a  difficult  one,  for 
the  pickers  least  given  to  prayer  are  oftenest  on  their  knees, 
crushing  the  strawberries,  and  whether  they  are  "  long  "  or 
short,  much  fruit  is  destroyed.  North  and  South,  the  effort 
to  keep  those  we  employ  off  the  berries  must  be  constant, 
especially  as  a  long,  hot  day  is  waning.  Indeed,  one  can 
scarcely  blame  them  for  "  lopping  down,"  for  it  would  be 
inquisitorial  torture  to  most  of  us  to  stoop  upon  our  feet 
through  a  summer  day.  Picking  strawberries,  as  a  steady 
business,  is  wofully  prosaic. 

While  the  sun  had  been  shining  so  brightly  there  had 
been  an  occasional  heavy  jar  and  rumble  of  thunder,  and 
now  the  western  sky  was  black.  Gradually  the  pickers  had 
disappeared  from  the  Wilson  field,  and  we  at  last  followed 


l6o  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

them,  warned  by  an  occasional  drop  of  rain  to  seek  the 
vicinity  of  the  house.  Having  reached  the  grassy  slope 
beneath  the  pines  in  the  rear  of  the  dwelling,  we  turned  to 
note  the  pretty  scene.  A  branch  of  Tanner's  Creek  came 
up  almost  to  our  feet,  and  on  either  side  of  it  stretched 
away  long  rows  of  strawberries  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Toward  these  the  throng  of  pickers  now  drifted,  "  seeking 
fresh  fields  and  pastures  new."  The  motley  crowd  was 
streaming  down  on  either  side  of  the  creek,  while  across  a 
little  causeway  came  a  counter  current,  the  majority  of  them 
having  trays  full  of  berries.  The  buyers,  like  the  traders 
with  the  nomad  Indians,  open  traffic  anywhere,  and  at  the 
shortest  notice.  A  mule-cart  was  stopped,  a  few  empty 
crates  taken  off  and  placed  under  the  pines  at  our  feet,  and 
soon  the  grass  was  covered  with  full  quart  baskets,  for  which 
the  pickers  received  tickets  and  then  passed  on,  or,  as  was 
often  the  case,  threw  themselves  down  in  the  shade.  The 
itinerant  venders  came  flocking  in  like  so  many  buzzards. 
There  was  at  once  chaffering  and  chaffing,  eating  and  drink- 
ing. All  were  merry.  Looking  on  the  groups  before  us, 
one  would  imagine  that  the  sky  was  serene.  And  yet, 
frowning  upon  this  scene  of  careless  security,  this  improvident 
disregard  of  a  swiftly  coming  emergency,  was  one  of  the 
blackest  of  clouds.  Every  moment  the  thunder  was  jarring 
and  rolling  nearer,  and  yet  this  jolly  people,  who  "  take  no 
thought,"  heeded  not  the  warning.  Even  the  buyers  and 
packers  seemed  infected  with  a  like  spirit,  and  were  leisurely 
packing  in  crates  the  baskets  of  berries  scattered  on  the 
grass,  when  suddenly  Mr.  Young,  with  his  fleet,  black  horse, 
came  flying  down  upon  us.  Standing  up  in  his  buggy  he 
gave  a  dozen  rapid  orders,  like  an  officer  on  the  field  in  a 
critical  moment.  The  women,  who  had  been  lounging  with 
their  hands  on  their  hips,  shuffle  off  with  their  trays ;  half- 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  TN  THE  SOUTH.       10 1 

burned  pipes  are  hastily  emptied;  gingerbread  and  like 
delicacies  are  stuffed  into  capacious  mouths,  since  hands 
must  be  employed  at  once.  Packers,  mules,  everybody, 
everything,  are  put  upon  the  double-quick  to  prepare  for 
the  shower.  It  is  too  late,  however,  for  down  come  the 
huge  drops  as  they  can  fall  only  in  the  South.  The  land- 
scape grows  obscure,  the  forms  of  the  pickers  in  the  distance 
become  dim  and  misty,  and  when  at  last  it  lightens  up  a 
little,  they  have  disappeared  from  the  fields.  There  they  go, 
streaming  and  dripping  toward  the  barns  and  sheds,  looking 
as  bedraggled  as  a  flock  of  black  Spanish  fowls.  Such  of 
the  mule-drivers  as  have  been  caught,  now  that  they  are  in 
for  it,  drive  leisurely  by  with  the  heavy  crates  that  they 
should  have  gathered  up  more  promptly. 

The  cloud  did  not  prove  a  passing  one,  and  the  rain  fell 
so  long  and  copiously  that  further  picking  for  the  day  was 
abandoned.  Some  jogged  off  to  the  city,  at  a  pace  that 
nothing  but  a  fiery  storm  could  have  quickened.  A  hun- 
dred or  two  remained  under  the  sheds,  singing  and  laugh- 
ing. Men  and  women,  and  many  bright  young  negro  girls, 
too,  lit  their  pipes  and  waited  till  they  could  gather  at  the 
"  paying  booth,"  near  the  entrance  of  the  farm,  after  the 
rain  was  over.  This  booth  was  a  small  shop,  extemporized 
of  rough  boards  by  an  enterprising  grocer  of  the  city.  One 
side  was  open,  like  the  counter  of  a  restaurant,  and  within, 
upon  the  grass,  as  yet  untrodden,  were  barrels  and  boxes 
containing  the  edible  enormities  which  seem  indigenous  to 
the  semi-grocery  and  eating-house.  In  most  respects  the 
place  resembled  the  sutler's  stand  of  our  army  days.  There 
was  a  small  window  on  one  end  of  the  booth,  and  at  this 
sat  the  grocer,  metamorphosed  into  a  paymaster,  with  a 
huge  bag  of  coin,  which  he  rapidly  exchanged  for  the  straw- 
berry tickets.  Our  last  glimpse  of  the  pickers,  who  had 

ii 


162  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

streamed  out  of  the  city  in  the  gray  dawn,  left  them  in  a 
long  line,  close  as  herrings  in  a  box,  pressing  toward  the 
window,  from  which  came  faintly  the  chink  of  silver. 

As  night  at  last  closed  about  us,  we  realized  the  difference 
between  a  strawberry  farm  and  a  strawberry  bed,  or  "  patch," 
as  country  people  say.  Here  was  a  large  and  well-devel- 
oped business,  which  proved  the  presence  of  no  small  de- 
gree of  brain  power  and  energy ;  and  our  thoughts  naturally 
turned  to  the  proprietor  and  the  methods  by  which  he 
achieved  success. 

J.  R.  Young,  Jr.,  is  a  veteran  in  strawberry  culture,  al- 
though but  twenty-nine  years  of  age.  Mr.  Young,  Sr.,  was 
a  Presbyterian  clergyman  who  always  had  a  leaning  toward 
man's  primal  calling.  When  his  son  was  a  little  boy,  he  was 
preaching  at  Plattsburgh,  New  York,  and  to  his  labors  in 
the  spiritual  vineyard  joined  the  care  of  a  garden  that  was 
the  pride  of  the  town.  Mr.  Young,  Jr.,  admits  that  he  hated 
weeding  and  working  among  strawberries  as  much  as  any 
other  boy,  until  he  was  given  a  share  in  the  crop,  and  per- 
mitted to  send  a  few  crates  to  Montreal.  He  had  seen  but 
nine  years  when  he  shipped  his  first  berries  to  market,  and 
every  summer  since,  from  several  widely  separated  localities 
and  with  many  and  varied  experiences,  he  has  sent  to 
Northern  cities  increasing  quantities  of  his  favorite  fruit. 
When  but  fifteen  years  of  age  he  had  the  entire  charge, 
during  the  long  season,  of  three  hundred  "  hands,"  and  the 
large  majority  of  them  were  Irish  women  and  children. 
After  considerable  experience  in  strawberry  farming  in  north- 
ern and  southern  New  York  and  in  New  Jersey,  his  father 
induced  him  to  settle  at  Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  hither  he 
came  about  ten  years  ago.  Now  he  has  under  his  control 
a  farm  of  440  acres,  150  of  which  are  to-day  covered  with 
bearing  strawberry  plants.  In  addition,  he  has  set  out  this 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.       163 

spring  over  two  million  more  plants,  which  will  occupy  an- 
other hundred  acres,  so  that  in  1880  he  will  have  250  acres 
that  must  be  picked  over  almost  daily. 

Mr.  Young  prefers  spring  planting  in  operations  upon  a 
large  scale.  Such  a  choice  is  very  natural  in  this  latitude, 
for  they  can  begin  setting  the  first  of  February  and  continue 
until  the  middle  of  April.  Therefore,  nine  tenths  of  the 
plants  grown  in  this  region  are  set  out  in  spring.  But  at 
Charleston  and  farther  south,  they  reverse  this  practice,  and, 
with  few  exceptions,  plant  in  the  summer  and  fall,  beginning 
as  early  as  July  on  some  places,  and  continuing  well  into 
December. 

I  must  also  state  that  the  finest  new  plantation  that  I  saw 
on  Mr.  Young's  place  was  a  field  of  Seth  Boydens  set  out 
in  September. 

This  fact  proves  that  he  could  follow  the  system  of 
autumn  planting  successfully,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  he  will  regard  this  method  with  constantly  increasing 
favor.  As  an  instance  proving  the  adaptation  to  this  lati- 
tude of  the  fall  system  of  planting,  I  may  state  that  96,000 
plants  were  sent  to  a  gentleman  at  Richmond,  in  October, 
1877,  and  when  I  visited  his  place,  the  following  spring, 
there  was  scarcely  a  break  in  the  long  rows,  and  nearly 
fruit  enough,  I  think,  to  pay  for  the  plants.  From  his  Seth 
Boydens,  set  out  last  September,  Mr.  Young  will  certainly 
pick  enough  berries  to  pay  expenses  thus  far ;  and  at  the 
same  time,  the  plants  are  already  four  times  the  size  of  any 
set  out  this  spring.  As  the  country  about  Norfolk  is  level, 
with  spots  where  the  water  would  stand  in  very  wet  weather, 
Mr.  Young  has  it  thrown  up  into  slightly  raised  beds  two 
and  a  half  feet  wide.  This  is  done  by  plows,  after  the 
ground  has  been  thoroughly  prepared  and  levelled  by  a 
heavy,  fine-toothed  harrow.  These  ridges  are  but  four  or 


164  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

five  inches  high,  and  are  smoothed  off  by  an  implement 
made  for  the  purpose.  Upon  these  beds,  quite  near  the 
edges,  the  plants  are  set  in  rows  twenty  inches  apart,  while 
the  depressed  space  between  the  beds  is  twenty-seven  inches 
wide.  This  space  is  also  designed  for  the  paths.  The  rows 
and  the  proper  distances  for  the  plants  are  designated  by  a 
"  marker,"  an  implement  consisting  of  several  wheels  fas- 
tened to  a  frame  and  drawn  by  hand.  On  the  rim  of  these 
wheels  are  two  knobs  shaped  like  an  acorn.  Each  wheel 
marks  a  continuous  line  on  the  soft  earth,  and  with  each 
revolution  the  knobs  make  two  slight  but  distinct  depres- 
sions twelve  inches  apart ;  or,  if  the  variety  to  be  planted 
is  a  vigorous  grower,  he  uses  another  set  of  wheels  that  in- 
dent the  ground  every  fifteen  inches.  A  plant  is  dropped 
at  each  indentation,  and  a  gang  of  colored  women  follow  with 
trowels,  and  by  two  or  three  quick,  dexterous  movements, 
imbed  the  roots  firmly  in  the  soil.  Some  become  so  quick 
and  skilful  as  to  be  able  to  set  out  six  or  seven  thousand  a 
day,  while  four  or  five  thousand  is  the  average.  With  his 
trained  band  of  twenty  women,  Mr.  Young  calls  the  setting 
of  a  hundred  thousand  plants  a  good  day's  work. 

In  April  commences  the  long  campaign  against  the  weeds, 
which  advance  like  successive  armies.  No  sooner  is  one 
growth  slain  than  a  different  and  perhaps  more  pestiferous 
class  rises  in  its  place,  —  the  worst  of  the  Philistines  being 
nut-grass,  quack-grass,  and  —  direst  foe  of  all  —  wire-grass. 

This  labor  is  reduced  to  its  minimum  by  mule  cultivation, 
and  Mr.  Young  has  on  his  farm  a  style  of  cultivator  that  is 
peculiarly  adapted  to  the  work.  As  this  is  his  own  inven- 
tion, I  will  not  describe  it,  but  merely  state  that  it  enables 
him  to  work  very  close  to  the  rows,  and  to  stir  the  soil 
deeply  without  moving  it  or  covering  the  plants.  These 
cultivators  are  followed  by  women,  with  light,  sharp  hoes, 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

who  cut  away  the  few  weeds  left  between  the  plants.  They 
handle  these  tools  so  deftly  that  scarcely  any  weeding  is  left 
to  be  done  by  hand  ;  for,  by  a  rapid  encircling  stroke,  they 
cut  within  a  half-inch  of  the  plant.  For  several  years  past, 
I  have  urged  upon  Mr.  Young  the  advantage  of  the  narrow 
row  system,  and  his  own  experience  has  led  him  to  adopt 
it.  He  is  now  able  to  keep  his  immense  farm  free  of  weeds 
chiefly  by  mule  labor,  whereas,  in  his  old  system  of  matted 
row  culture  it  was  impossible  to  keep  down  the  grass,  or 
prevent  the  ground  from  becoming  hard  and  dry.  He  now 
restricts  his  plants  to  hills  or  "stools,"  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
inches  apart.  The  runners  are  cut  from  time  to  time  with 
shoe-knives,  the  left  hand  gathering  them  up  by  a  single 
rapid  movement,  and  the  right  hand  severing  them  by  a 
stroke.  One  woman  will,  by  this  method,  clip  the  runners 
from  several  acres  during  the  growing  season.  To  keep  his 
farm  in  order,  Mr.  Young  must  employ  seventy-five  hands 
through  the  summer.  The  average  wages  for  women  is 
fifty  cents,  and  for  men  seventy-five  to  ninety  cents.  In 
the  item  of  cheap  labor  the  South  has  the  advantage  of  the 
North. 

With  the  advent  of  autumn,  the  onslaught  of  weeds  grad- 
ually ceases,  and  there  is  some  respite  in  the  labors  of  a 
Virginia  strawberry  farm. 

At  Charleston  and  farther  south,  this  respite  is  brief,  for 
the  winters  there  are  so  mild  that  certain  kinds  of  weeds 
will  grow  all  the  time,  and  early  in  February  they  must 
begin  to  cultivate  the  ground  and  mulch  the  plants  for 
bearing. 

Bordering  on  Mr.  Young's  farm,  and  farther  up  the  creek, 
there  are  hundreds  of  acres  of  salt  meadows.  From  these 
he  has  cut,  in  the  autumn  and  early  winter,  two  hundred 
tons  of  hay,  and  with  his  lighter  floats  it  down  to  his  wharf, 


166  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

In  December,  acre  after  acre  is  covered  until  all  the  rl^ts 
are  quite  hidden  from  view.  In  the  spring,  this  winter 
mulch  is  left  upon  the  ground  as  the  summer  mulch,  the 
new  growth  in  most  instances  pushing  its  way  through  it 
readily.  When  it  is  too  thick  to  permit  this,  it  is  pushed 
aside  from  the  crowns  of  the  plants. 

Thus  far  he  has  given  the  bearing  fields  no  spring  culture, 
adopting  the  common  theory  that  the  ground  around  the 
plants  must  not  be  disturbed  at  this  season.  I  advocate 
the  opposite  view,  and  believe  in  early  spring  culture,  as  I 
have  already  explained ;  and  I  think  his  experience  this 
year  will  lead  him  to  give  my  method  a  trial  in  1880.  The 
latter  part  of  April  and  early  May  was  very  dry  at  Norfolk, 
and  the  ground  between  the  bearing  plants  became  parched, 
hard,  and  in  many  instances  full  of  weeds  that  had  been 
developing  through  the  long,  mild  spring  of  this  region. 
Now  I  am  satisfied  that  if  he,  and  all  others  in  this  region 
who  adopt  the  narrow  row  system,  would  loosen  the  ground 
deeply  with  a  subsoil  plow  early  in  the  season,  before  the 
plants  had  made  any  growth,  and  then  stir  and  pulverize  all 
the  surface  between  the  plants  in  the  rows,  they  would  in- 
crease the  size  and  quantity  of  the  berries  at  least  one  third, 
and  in  many  instances  double  the  crop.  It  would  require 
a  very  severe  drought,  indeed,  to  injure  plants  thus  treated, 
and  it  is  well  known,  also,  that  a  porous,  mellow  soil  will 
best  endure  too  frequent  rains.  I  have  sometimes  thought 
that  light  and  air  are  as  indispensable  to  the  roots  of  plants 
as  to  the  foliage. 

The  winter  mulch  need  not  prevent  this  spring  culture. 
Let  the  men  begin  on  one  side  of  a  field,  and  rake  inward 
until  half  a  dozen  rows  are  uncovered.  Down  through  these 
the  subsoil  plow  and  the  cultivator  can  pass.  Then  the  hay 
can  be  raked  back  again  as  the  summer  mulch,  and  a  new 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.        l6/ 

space  cleared,  until  the  whole  field  is  cultivated  and  the 
mulch  left  as  it  was  before. 

Now,  however,  it  is  not  a  surface  like  hard-pan  that  is 
covered,  but  a  mellow  soil  in  which  the  roots  can  luxuriate. 

Mr.  Young  uses  fertilizers,  especially  those  containing 
ammonia,  only  to  a  limited  extent,  believing  that  while  they 
undoubtedly  increase  the  size  of  the  fruit,  they  also  render  it 
soft  and  unfit  for  long  carriage,  and  promote  an  undue 
growth  of  vine.-  This  theory  is  true,  to  a  certain  extent,  but 
I  think  the  compensating  benefits  of  fertilizers  of  almost 
any  kind  far  outweigh  the  disadvantages.  At  his  distance 
from  the  market,  firmness  in  the  berry  is  essential,  but  I 
think  he  will  find  this  quality  is  dependent  more  upon  the 
weather  and  the  variety  than  upon  the  fertilizer.  Of  course, 
over-stimulation  by  hot  manures  will  always  produce  an  un- 
wholesome, perishable  growth,  but  a  good  coat  of  well-rotted 
compost  scattered  down  the  rows,  just  before  they  receive 
their  fall  or  spring  culture,  would  be  exceedingly  beneficial 
in  nine  cases  out  of  ten.  I  most  heartily  agree  with  him, 
however,  that  all  fertilizers  containing  potash  are  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  strawberry. 

Having  considered  his  methods  of  planting  and  culture, 
we  now  return  again  to  the  culminating  period  in  which  the 
hopes  and  labors  of  the  year  are  rewarded  or  disappointed. 
When  we  awoke  the  morning  following  our  arrival,  we  found 
the  landscape  obscured  by  a  dense  fog.  Through  this,  in 
dim,  uncertain  outline,  throngs  of  pickers  were  streaming 
out  from  the  city  to  Mr.  Young's  place  and  the  strawberry 
farms  beyond.  The  broad  fields  seemed  all  the  more  vast 
from  the  obscurity,  and  the  stooping  forms  of  the  fruit-gath- 
erers took  on  odd  and  fantastic  shapes  in  the  silvery  mist. 

But  while  we  drank  our  coffee  the  sun  sipped  these  morn- 
ing vapors,  and  when  we  stepped  out  under  the  pines,  the 


168  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

day  was  hourly  growing  brighter  and  warmer.  The  balmy, 
fragrant  air,  the  meadow  larks  singing  in  the  distance,  the 
cheery  voices  of  the  pickers  in  an  adjacent  field,  would 
tempt  gloom  itself  to  forget  its  care  and  stroll  away  through 
the  sunlight. 

The  pickers  were  beginning  to  take  possession  of  a  field 
containing  thirty  acres  of  Triomphe  de  Gands,  and  we  fol- 
lowed them,  and  there  lit  on  one  of  the  oddest  characters 
on  the  plantation,  —  "  Sam  Jubilee,"  the  "  row-man,"  black 
as  night,  short,  stout,  and  profane.  It  is  Sam's  business  to 
give  each  picker  a  row  of  berries,  and  he  carries  a  brass- 
headed  cane  as  the  baton  of  authority.  As  we  came  up,  he 
was  whirling  a  glazed  hat  of  portentous  size  in  one  hand 
and  gesticulating  so  wildly  with  his  cane  that  one  might 
think  he  was  in  convulsions  of  rage,  but  we  soon  learned 
that  this  was  "his  way." 

"  Heah,  you,  dah ! "  he  vociferated,  to  the  slouching, 
leisurely  pickers  that  were  drifting  after  him,  "  what 's  de 
matter  wid  yer  j'ints?  Step  along  lively,  or  by  —  "and 
then  came  a  volley  of  the  most  outlandish  oaths  ever  uttered 
by  a  human  tongue. 

"  Don't  swear  so,  Sam,"  said  Mr.  Young. 

"  Can't  help  it,  sah.  Dey  makes  me  swar.  Feels  as  if  I 
could  bust  inter  ten  thousand  emptins,  dey  's  so  agerwatin. 
Heah,  my  sister,  take  dat  row.  You,  gemlin  "  (to  a  white 
man),  "take  dat.  Heah,  chile,  step  in  dar  an'  pick  right 
smart,  or  I  '11  warm  yer  !  " 

Sam  "  brothers  and  sisters  "  the  motley  crowd  he  domi- 
neers like  a  colored  preacher,  but  I  fear  he  is  not  "  in  good 
and  regular  standing  "  in  any  church  in  Norfolk. 

"  He  can  give  out  rows  more  rapidly  and  systematically 
than  any  man  I  ever  had,"  said  Mr.  Young ;  and  we  soon 
observed  that  wherever  Jubilee  led,  with  his  stentorian  voice 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.       169 

and  emphatic  gestures,  there  was  life  and  movement.  Thus 
we  learned  that  although  there  might  be  1,500  people  in 
the  fields,  there  was  no  hap-hazard  picking.  Each  one 
would  be  assigned  a  row,  which  could  not  be  left  until  all 
the  ripe  berries  on  it  were  gathered. 

Passing  to  and  fro  across  the  fields  are  the  two  chief  over- 
seers of  the  farm,  Harrison  and  Peters,  both  apparently 
full-blooded  negroes,  but,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  South, 
"right  smart  men."  They  have  been  with  Mr.  Young 
eight  or  ten  years,  and  were  promoted  and  maintain  their 
position  solely  on  the  ground  of  ability  and  faithfulness. 
They  go  rapidly  from  one  to  another,  noting  whether  they 
are  picking  the  rows  clean.  They  also  take  from  each  tray 
a  basket  at  random,  and  empty  it  into  another,  thus  discov- 
ering who  are  gathering  green  or  imperfect  berries.  If  the 
fruit  falls  much  below  the  accepted  standard,  the  baskets  are 
confiscated  and  no  tickets  given  for  them,  and  if  the  picker 
continues  careless  he  is  sent  out  of  the  field. 

Mr.  Young  says  that  he  has  never  found  any  white  over- 
seers who  could  equal  these  men ;  and  through  the  long 
year  they  drive  on  the  work  with  tireless  energy. 

Indeed,  Peters  often  has  much  ado  to  keep  his  energy 
under  control.  A  powerful  engine  cannot  always  be  safe, 
and  Peters  slipped  his  bands  one  day  to  his  cost.  A 
woman  would  not  obey  him,  and  he  threatened  her  with 
a  pistol.  Instead  of  obeying,  she  started  to  run.  He  fired 
and  wounded  her  twice,  and  then  tried  to  get  off  on  the 
lame  excuse  that  he  did  not  know  the  pistol  was  loaded. 
The  trouble  was  that  he  was  overloaded.  But  his  offence 
resulted  more  from  these  characteristics  than  from  innate 
ugliness  of  temper.  To  make  the  business  of  the  huge  farm 
go  has  become  his  controlling  passion ;  and  he  chafes  at 
an  obstacle  like  an  obstructed  torrent. 


170  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Harrison,  his  associate  overseer,  unites  more  discretion 
with  his  force,  and  he  gave  us  an  example  of  this  fact.  As 
we  were  strolling  about,  we  found,  seated  at  the  end  of  the 
strawberry  rows,  a  group  consisting  of  two  young  women 
and  two  children,  with  a  colored  man  standing  near.  They 
had  been  picking  in  partnership,  we  were  informed  by 
one  of  the  young  women,  who  was  smoking  a  pipe,  and  who 
replied  to  our  questions,  scarcely  taking  the  trouble  to  look 
up.  She  was  about  half  white,  and  her  face  was  singularly 
expressive  of  sensuousness  and  indolent  recklessness. ' 

"  This  man  is  your  husband  ?  "  I  suggested. 

"  No,  he  's  only  my  brudder.  My  ole  man  is  pickin'  on 
anoder  farm,"  she  drawled  out,  between  the  whiffs  of  her 
pipe. 

"  I  should  think  you  and  your  husband  would  work  to- 
gether," I  ventured. 

"  We  does  n't.  He  goes  about  his  business  and  I  goe* 
about  mine,"  she  remarked,  with  languid  complacency. 

Here  is  a  character,  I  thought,  as  we  passed  on,  —  the 
very  embodiment  of  a  certain  kind  of  wilfulness.  She 
would  not  resist  or  chafe  at  authority,  but,  with  an  easy, 
good-natured,  don't-care  expression,  would  do  as  she  pleased 
"though  the  heavens  fell."  A  little  later  there  was  a  heavy 
rumble  of  thunder  in  the  west,  and  we  met  again  the  young 
woman  whose  marital  relations  resembled  those  of  many  of 
her  fashionable  sisters  at  the  North.  She  was  leading  her 
small  band  from  the  field.  The  prospective  shower  was  her 
excuse  for  going,  but  laziness  the  undoubted  cause.  Harri- 
son, like  a  vigilant  watch-dog,  spied  them  and  blustered  up, 
never  for  a  moment  doubting  that  she  would  yield  to  his 
authority. 

But  he  had  met  his  match.  She  merely  looked  at  him 
with  her  slow,  quiet,  indolent  smile,  in  which  there  was  not 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.        I /I 

the  faintest  trace  of  irresolution  or  fear,  and  he  knew  that 
the  moment  he  stepped  out  of  the  way,  she  would  pass  on. 
His  loud  expostulations  and  threats  soon  ceased.  What 
could  he  do  with  that  laughing  woman,  who  no  doubt  had 
been  a  slave,  but  was  now  emancipated  a  trifle  too  completely? 
He  might  as  well  try  to  stop  a  sluggish  tide  with  his  hands. 
It  would  ooze  away  from  him  inevitably.  The  instincts  of 
this  people  are  quick.  Harrison  knew  he  was  defeated,  and 
his  only  anxiety  now  was  to  retreat  in  a  way  that  would  save 
appearances. 

"  I  'se  a-gwine  home,  M's'r  Harrison,"  she  said  quietly. 
"  You  don't  catch  us  gittin'  wet  ag'in." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  you  is  'fraid  ob  gittin'  wet,  s'pose  I  '11  habe 
to  let  you  off  jus'  dis  once,"  he  began,  pompously;  and 
here,  fortunately,  he  saw  a  man  leaving  the  field  in  the  dis- 
tance. There  was  a  subject  with  which  he  could  deal,  and 
a  line  of  retreat  open  at  the  same  time ;  and  away  he  went, 
therefore,  vociferating  all  the  more  loudly  that  he  might 
cover  his  discomfiture.  The  woman  smiled  a  little  more 
complacently  and  went  on,  with  her  old  easy,  don't-care 
swing,  as  she  undoubtedly  will,  whithersoever  her  inclina- 
tions lead,  to  the  end  of  her  life.  To  crystallize  such 
wayward,  human  atoms  into  proper  forms,  and  make  them 
useful,  is  a  problem  that  would  puzzle  wiser  heads  than  that 
of  the  overseer. 

I  think,  however,  that  not  only  Harrison  and  Peters,  but 
all  who  have  charge  of  working  people,  rely  too  much  on 
driving,  and  too  little  on  encouraging  and  coaxing.  An  in- 
cident which  occurred  may  illustrate  this  truth.  My  com- 
panion, Mr.  Drake,  soon  mastered  one  of  the  labors  of  a 
strawberry  farm,  —  the  gathering  of  the  fruit,  —  and  out  of 
the  plenitude  of  his  benevolence  essayed  to  teach  a  little 
sable  how  he  could  pick  to  better  advantage. 


1/2  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

"  Put  your  basket  down,  sonny,"  he  said.  "  Now  you 
have  two  hands  to  work  with  instead  of  one  —  so,  don't  you 
see?" 

"  Dat  's  mighty  good  in  you,  Mas'r,"  said  a  woman  near. 
"  Lor  bress  you  !  de  people  'ud  jess  jump  over  derselvea 
tryin'  to  do  the  work  if  dey  got  sich  good  words,  but  de 
oberseer  's  so  cross  dat  we  gits  'umptuous  and  don't  keer." 

Still,  to  the  majority,  the  strawberry  season  brings  the 
halcyon  days  of  the  year.  They  look  forward  to  it  and 
enjoy  it  as  a  prolonged  picnic,  in  which  business  and  pleas- 
ure are  equally  combined.  They  are  essentially  gregarious, 
and  this  industry  brings  many  together  during  the  long  bright 
days.  The  light  work  leaves  their  tongues  free,  and  families 
and  neighbors  pick  together  with  a  ceaseless  chatter,  a  run- 
ning fire  of  rude,  broad  pleasantry,  intermingled  occasion- 
ally with  a  windy  war  of  words  in  a  jargon  that  becomes  all 
the  more  uncouth  from  anger,  but  which  rarely  ends  in  blows. 

We  were  continually  impressed  by  their  courage,  buoy- 
ancy, animal  spirits,  or  whatever  it  is  that  enables  them  to 
face  their  uncertain  future  so  unconcernedly.  Multitudes 
live  like  the  birds,  not  knowing  where  their  next  year's  nest 
will  be,  or  how  to-morrow's  food  will  come.  It  has  come, 
thus  far,  and  this  fact  seems  enough.  In  many  instances, 
however,  their  humble  fortunes  are  built  on  the  very  best 
foundations. 

"What  can  you  do  after  the  berry  season  is  over?  "  we 
asked  a  woman  who  had  but  one  arm. 

"I  kin  do  what  any  other  woman  kin  do,"  she  said, 
straightening  herself  up.  "  I  kin  bake,  cook,  wash,  iron, 
scrub  —  " 

"  That  will  do,"  I  cried.  "  You  are  better  off  than  most 
of  us,  for  the  world  will  always  need  and  pay  for  your 
accomplishments." 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.       173 

The  story  of  her  life  was  a  simple  one.  She  did  not  re- 
member when  she  lost  her  arm,  but  only  knew  that  it  had 
been  burned  off.  When  scarcely  more  than  an  infant,  she 
had  been  left  alone  in  the  little  cabin  by  the  slave  mother, 
who  probably  was  toiling  in  the  tobacco  field.  There  was 
a  fire  on  the  hearth  —  the  rest  can  be  imagined  only  too 
vividly.  She  is  fighting  out  the  battle  of  life,  however, 
more  successfully  with  her  one  hand  than  are  multitudes  of 
men  with  two.  She  is  stout  and  cheery,  and  can  "take 
keer  of  herself  and  children,"  she  said. 

Scattered  here  and  there  over  the  fields  might  be  seen 
two  heads  that  would  keep  in  rather  close  juxtaposition  up 
and  down  the  long  rows. 

"  Dey  's  pairin'  off,"  was  the  explanation. 

"You  keep  de  tickets,"  said  a  buxom  young  woman  to 
her  mate,  as  he  was  about  to  take  her  tray,  as  well  as  his 
own,  to  the  buyers. 

"  You  are  in  partnership,"  I  remarked. 

"  Yes,  we  is,"  she  replied,  with  a  conscious  laugh. 

"You  are  related,  I  suppose?  " 

"  Well,  not  'zackly  —  dat  is  —  we  "s  partners." 

"  How  about  this  partnership  business  —  does  it  not  last 
sometimes  after  the  strawberry  season  is  over?  " 

"  Oh,  Lor',  yes  !  Heaps  on  'em  gits  fallen  in  love ; 
den  dey  gits  a-marryin'  arter  de  pickin'  time  is  done 
gone  by." 

"  Now  I  see  what  your  partnership  means." 

"  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  You  sees  a  heap  more  dan  I 's  told 
you  !"  But  her  partner  grinned  most  approvingly.  We 
were  afterward  informed  that  there  was  no  end  to  the  love- 
making  among  the  strawberry  rows. 

There  are  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  pickers  in 
a  squad,  and  these  are  in  charge  of  subordinate  overseers, 
H— ROE— XVU 


1/4  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

who  are  continually  moving  around  among  them,  on  the 
watch  for  delinquencies  of  all  kinds.  Some  of  these  minor 
potentates  are  white  and  some  black.  As  a  rule,  Mr.  Young 
gives  the  blacks  the  preference,  and  on  strictly  business 
principles,  too.  "The  colored  men  have  more  snap,  and 
can  get  more  work  out  of  their  own  people,"  he  says. 
By  means  of  these  sub- overseers,  large  numbers  can  be 
transferred  from  one  part  of  the  farm  to  another  without 
confusion. 

Fortunes  are  never  made  in  gathering  strawberries,  and 
yet  there  seems  no  dearth  of  pickers.  The  multitude  of 
men,  women,  and  children  that  streams  out  into  the  country 
every  morning  is  surprisingly  large.  Five  or  six  thousand 
bushels  a  day  are  often  gathered  in  the  vicinity  of  Norfolk, 
and  the  pickers  rarely  average  over  a  bushel  each.  "  Right 
smart  hands,"  who  have  the  good  hap  to  be  given  full  rows, 
will  occasionally  pick  two  bushels ;  but  about  thirty  quarts 
per  day  is  the  usual  amount,  while  not  a  few  of  the  lazy  and 
feeble  bring  in  only  eight  or  ten. 

As  has  been  already  suggested,  the  pickers  are  followed 
by  the  buyers  and  packers,  and  to  these  men,  at  central 
points  in  the  fields,  the  mule-carts  bring  empty  crates.  The 
pickers  carry  little  trays  containing  six  baskets,  each  holding 
a  quart.  As  fast  as  they  fill  these,  they  flock  in  to  the  buy- 
ers. If  a  trayful,  or  six  good  quarts,  are  offered,  the  buyer 
gives  the  picker  a  yellow  ticket,  worth  twelve  cents.  When 
less  than  six  baskets  are  brought,  each  basket  is  paid  for 
with  a  green  ticket,  worth  two  cents.  These  two  tickets  are 
eventually  exchanged  for  a  white  fifty-cent  ticket,  which  is 
cashed  at  the  paying-booth  after  the  day's  work  is  over. 
The  pickers,  therefore,  receive  two  cents  for  every  quart  of 
good,  salable  berries.  If  green,  muddy,  or  decayed  berries 
are  brought  in,  they  are  thrown  away  or  confiscated,  and 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH,        175 

incorrigibly  careless  pickers  are  driven  off  the  place.  Every 
morning  the  buyers  take  out  as  many  tickets  of  these  three 
values  as  they  think  they  can  use,  and  are  charged  with  the 
same  by  the  book-keeper.  Their  voucher  for  all  they  pay 
out  is  another  ticket,  on  which  is  printed  "Forty-five 
quarts,"  or  just  a  crateful.  Only  Mr.  Young  and  one  other 
person  have  a  right  to  give  out  the  last-named  tickets,  and 
by  night  each  buyer  must  have  enough  of  them  to  balance 
the  other  tickets  with  which  he  was  charged  in  the  morning. 
Thus  thousands  of  dollars  change  hands  through  the  me- 
dium of  four  kinds  of  tickets  not  over  an  inch  square,  and  by 
means  of  them  the  financial  part  of  gathering  the  crop  is 
managed. 

In  previous  years  these  tickets  were  received  the  same  as 
money  by  any  of  the  shops  in  the  city,  and  on  one  occasion 
were  counterfeited.  Mr.  Young  now  has  his  own  printing- 
office,  and  gets  them  up  in  a  way  not  easily  imitated,  nor 
does  he  issue  them  until  just  as  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen. 
He  has,  moreover,  given  authority  to  one  man  only  to  cash 
these  tickets.  Thus  there  is  little  chance  for  rascality. 

He  also  requires  that  no  tickets  shall  be  cashed  until  the 
fields  have  all  been  picked  over.  Were  it  not  for  this  regu- 
lation, the  lazy  and  the  "  bummers "  would  earn  enough 
merely  to  buy  a  few  drinks,  then  slink  off.  Now  they  must 
remain  until  all  are  through  before  they  can  get  a  cent. 
Peters  and  Harrison  see  to  it  that  none  are  lying  around  in 
the  shade,  and  thus,  through  the  compulsion  of  system, 
many,  no  doubt,  are  surprised  to  find  themselves  at  work 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 

And  yet  neither  system  nor  Peters,  with  even  his  sanguin- 
ary reputation,  is  able  alone  to  control  the  hordes  employed. 
Of  course  the  very  dregs  of  the  population  are  largely  repre- 
sented. Many  go  out  on  a  "lark,"  not  a  few  to  steal,  and 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

some  with  the  basest  purposes.  Walking  continually  back 
and  forth  through  the  fields,  therefore,  are  two  duly  author- 
ized constables,  and  their  presence  only  prevents  a  great 
deal  of  crime.  Moreover,  according  to  Virginian  law,  every 
landholder  has  the  right  to  arrest  thieves  and  trespassers. 
Up  to  the  time  of  our  visit,  five  persons  had  been  arrested, 
and  the  fact  that  they  were  all  white  does  not  speak  very  well 
for  our  color.  The  law  of  the  state  requires  that  they  shall  be 
punished  by  so  many  lashes,  according  to  the  gravity  of  the 
offence,  and  by  imprisonment.  The  whipping-post  is  one  of 
the  institutions,  and  man  or  woman,  white  or  black,  against 
whom  the  crime  of  stealing  is  proved,  is  stripped  to  the 
waist  and  lashed  upon  the  bare  back.  Such  ignominious 
punishment  may  prevent  theft,  but  it  must  tend  to  destroy 
every  vestige  of  self-respect  and  pride  in  criminals,  and  ren- 
der them  hopelessly  reckless.  Therefore,  it  should  cease  at 
once. 

It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  very  little  lawlessness 
was  apparent.  In  no  instance  have  I  received  a  rude  word 
while  travelling  in  the  South,  while  on  the  other  hand,  the 
courtesy  and  kindness  were  almost  unstinted. 

The  negroes  about  Norfolk  certainly  do  not  wear  an  in- 
timidated or  "  bull-dozed  "  air. 

"  Git  off  my  row,  dar,  or  I  '11  bust  yo'  head  open,"  shouted 
a  tall,  strapping  colored  girl  to  a  white  man,  and  he  got  off 
her  row  with  alacrity. 

Mr.  Young  says  that  the  negro  laborers  are  easily  man- 
aged, and  will  endure  a  great  deal  of  severity  if  you  deal 
"  squarely  "  with  them ;  but  if  you  wrong  them  out  of  even 
five  cents,  they  will  never  forget  it.  What's  more,  every 
citizen  of  "  Blackville "  will  be  informed  of  the  fact,  for 
what  one  knows  they  all  seem  to  know  very  soon. 

We  were  not  long  in  learning  to  regard  the  strawberry 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH        177 

farm  as  a  little  world  within  itself.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
make  the  reader  understand  its  life  and  "go"  at  certain 
hours  of  the  day.  Scores  are  coming  and  going ;  hundreds 
dot  the  fields ;  carts  piled  up  with  crates  are  moving  hither 
and  thither.  At  the  same  time  the  regular  toil  of  cultivation 
is  maintained.  Back  and  forth  between  the  young  plants 
mules  are  drawing  cultivators,  and  following  these  come  a 
score  or  two  women  with  light,  sharp  hoes.  From  the  great 
crate  manufactory  is  heard  the  whir  of  machinery  and  the 
click  of  hammers ;  at  intervals  the  smithy  sends  forth  its 
metallic  voice,  while  from  one  centre  of  toil  and  interest  to 
another  the  proprietor  whisks  in  his  open  buggy  at  a  speed 
that  often  seems  perilous. 

After  all,  Mr.  Young's  most  efficient  aid  in  his  business 
was  his  father  (recently  deceased).  It  gave  me  pleasure 
to  note  the  frequency  and  deference  with  which  the  senior's 
judgment  was  consulted,  and  I  also  observed  that  wherever 
the  old  gentleman's  umbrella  was  seen  in  the  field,  all  went 
well. 

At  four  or  five  in  the  afternoon,  the  whole  area  would  be 
picked  over.  The  fields  would  be  left  to  meadow-larks  and 
quails,  whose  liquid  notes  well  replaced  the  songs  and  cries 
of  the  pickers.  Here  and  there  a  mule-cart  would  come 
straggling  in.  By  night,  all  signs  of  life  were  concentrated 
around  the  barns  and  paying  booth ;  but  even  from  these 
one  after  another  would  drift  away  to  the  city,  till  at  last 
scarcely  a  vestige  of  the  hurry  and  business  of  the  day  would 
be  left.  The  deep  hush  and  quiet  that  settled  down  on  the 
scene  was  all  the  more  delightful  from  contrast.  To  listen 
to  the  evening  wind  among  the  pines,  to  watch  the  sun  drop 
below  the  spires  of  Norfolk,  and  see  the  long  shadows  creep 
toward  us ;  to  let  our  thoughts  flit  whither  they  would,  like 
the  birds  about  us,  was  all  the  occupation  we  craved  at  thig 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

hour.  Were  we  younger  and  more  romantic,  we  might 
select  this  witching  time  for  a  visit  to  an  ancient  grave  in  one 
of  the  strawberry  fields. 

A  mossy,  horizontal  slab  marks  the  spot,  and  beneath  it 
reposes  the  dust  of  a  young  English  officer.  One  bright 
June  day  —  so  the  legend  is  told  —  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen years  ago,  this  man,  in  the  early  summer  of  his  life, 
was  killed  in  a  duel. 

Lingering  here,  through  the  twilight,  until  the  landscape 
grows  as  obscure  as  this  rash  youth's  history,  what  fancies 
some  might  weave.  As  the  cause  of  the  tragedy,  one  would 
scarcely  fail  to  see  among  the  shadows  the  dim  form  and 
features  of  some  old-time  belle,  whose  smiles  had  kindled 
the  fierce  passion  that  was  here  quenched,  more  than  a  cen- 
tury since.  Did  she  marry  the  rival,  of  surer  aim  and  cooler 
head  and  heart,  or  did  she  haunt  this  place  with  regretful 
tears?  Did  she  become  a  stout,  prosaic  worpan,  and  end 
her  days  in  whist  and  all  the  ancient  proprieties,  or  fade 
into  a  remorseful  wraith  that  still  haunts  her  unfortunate 
lover's  grave?  One  shivers,  and  grows  superstitious.  The 
light  twinkling  from  the  windows  of  the  cottage  under  the 
pines  becomes  very  attractive.  As  we  fall  asleep  after  such 
a  visit,  we  like  to  think  of  the  meadow-larks  singing  on  the 
mossy  tombstone  in  the  morning. 

During  a  rainy  day,  when  driven  from  the  field,  we  found 
plenty  to  interest  us  in  the  printing-office,  smithy,  and  es- 
pecially in  the  huge  crate  manufactory.  Here  were  piled 
up  coils  of  baskets  that  suggested  strawberries  for  a  million 
supper-tables.  Hour  after  hour  the  mule-power  engine 
drove  saws,  with  teeth  sharper  than  those  of  time,  through 
the  pine-boards  that  soon  became  crates  for  the  round  quart 
baskets.  These  crates  were  painted  green,  marked  with 
Mr.  Young's  name,  and  piled  to  the  lofty,  cobwebbed  ceiling. 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.       179 

But  Saturday  is  the  culminating  period  of  the  week.  The 
huge  plantation  has  been  gone  over  closely  and  carefully, 
for  the  morrow  is  Sunday,  on  which  day  the  birds  are  the 
only  pickers.  Around  the  office,  crate  manufactory,  and 
paying  booth  were  gathered  over  a  thousand  people, — a 
motley  and  variegated  crowd,  that  the  South  only  can  pro- 
duce. The  odd  and  often  coarse  jargon,  the  infinite  variety 
in  appearance  and  character,  suggested  again  that  humanity 
is  a  very  tangled  problem.  The  shrewdness  and  accuracy, 
however,  with  which  the  most  ignorant  count  their  tickets 
and  reckon  their  dues  on  their  fingers,  is  a  trait  characteris- 
tic of  all,  and,  having  received  the  few  shillings,  which  mean 
a  luxurious  Sunday,  they  trudge  off  to  town,  chattering 
volubly,  whether  any  one  listens  or  not. 

But  many  cannot  resist  the  rollicking  music  back  of  the 
paying  booth.  Three  sable  musicians  form  the  orchestra, 
and  from  a  bass  viol,  fiddle  and  fife  they  extract  melody 
that,  with  all  its  short-coming,  would  make  a  deacon  wish 
to  dance.  Any  one,  white  or  black,  can  purchase  the  privi- 
lege of  keeping  step  to  the  music  for  two  cents,  or  one 
strawberry  ticket.  Business  was  superb,  and  every  shade  of 
color  and  character  was  represented.  In  the  vernacular  of 
the  farm,  the  mulatto  girls  are  called  "  strawberry  blondes," 
and  one  that  would  have  attracted  attention  anywhere  was 
led  out  by  a  droll,  full-blooded  negro,  who  would  have  made 
the  fortune  of  a  minstrel  troupe.  She  was  tall  and  willowy. 
A  profusion  of  dark  hair  curled  about  an  oval  face,  not  too 
dark  to  prevent  a  faint  color  of  the  strawberry  from  glowing 
in  her  cheeks.  She  wore  neither  hat  nor  shoes,  but  was  as 
unembarrassed,  apparently,  in  her  one  close-fitting  garment, 
as  could  be  any  ball-room  belle  dressed  in  the  latest  mode. 
Another  blonde,  who  sported  torn  slippers  and  white  stock- 
ings, was  in  danger  of  being  spoiled  by  much  attention. 


180  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

As  a  rule,  however,  bare  feet  were  nothing  against  a  "  lady  " 
in  the  estimation  of  the  young  men.  At  any  rate,  all  who 
could  spare  a  berry  ticket  speedily  found  a  partner,  and,  as 
we  rode  away  from  the  farm,  the  last  sounds  were  those  of 
music  and  merriment,  and  our  last  glimpse  was  of  the  throng 
of  dancers  on  the  green. 

The  confused  uproar  and  rush  of  business  around  the  Old 
Dominion  steamship  made  a  marked  contrast.  To  the 
ample  wharves  every  species  of  vehicle  had  been  coming 
all  day,  while  all  kinds  of  craft,  from  a  skiff  to  a  large  two- 
masted  schooner,  waiting  their  turn  to  discharge  their  freight 
of  berry  crates  and  garden  produce,  reached  half  across  the 
Elizabeth  river.  The  rumble  of  the  trucks  was  almost  like 
the  roar  of  thunder,  as  scores  of  negroes  hustled  crates, 
barrels  and  boxes  aboard.  Most  of  the  time  they  were  on 
a  good  round  trot,  and  one  had  to  pick  his  way  with  care ; 
for,  apparently,  the  truck  was  as  thoughtful  as  the  trundler. 

As  the  long  twilight  fades  utterly  into  night,  the  last  crate 
is  aboard.  The  dusky  forms  of  the  stevedores  are  seen  in 
an  old  pontoon-shaped  boat  on  their  way  to  Portsmouth, 
but  their  outlines,  and  the  melody  of  their  rude  song,  are 
soon  lost  in  the  distance.  The  ship,  that  has  become  like 
a  huge  section  of  Washington  Market,  casts  off  her  lines, 
and  away  we  steam,  diffusing  on  the  night  air  the  fragrance 
of  a  thousand  acres,  more  or  less,  of  strawberries. 

It  was  late  in  the  night  that  followed  the  next  day  before 
we  reached  New  York,  but  on  the  great  covered  wharf,  to 
which  was  given  a  noon-day  glare  by  electric  lights,  there 
was  no  suggestion  of  the  darkness  and  rain  without.  Vari- 
ous numbers,  prominent  on  the  sides  of  the  building,  in- 
dicated the  lines  of  transit  and  the  commission  houses 
to  which  the  immense,  indiscriminate  cargo  was  assigned. 
With  a  heavy  jar  and  rumble  that  would  not  cease  till  the 


METHODS  OF  CULTURE  IN  THE  SOUTH.       i8l 

ship  was  empty,  a  throng  of  white  laborers  wheel  each  pack- 
age to  its  proper  place.  Mr.  Young's  crates  soon  grew  into 
what  seemed,  in  the  distance,  a  good-sized  mound.  The 
number  above  them  stood  for  Eldridge  &  Carpenter,  West 
Washington  Market.  Thither  we  followed  them  the  next 
morning,  but  found  that  the  most  of  them  had  already  been 
scattered  throughout  the  city,  and  realized  that  the  berries 
we  had  seen  a  few  hours  before  on  the  strawberry  farm  were 
even  then  on  uptown  breakfast-tables. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FORCING  STRAWBERRIES  UNDER   GLASS. 

'T^RAINED  gardeners  need  no  instruction  from  me  on 
•*•  this  topic.  There  may  be  those,  however,  who  have 
never  given  the  subject  attention,  and  who  would  be  glad 
to  learn  some  of  the  first  principles  of  success  in  forcing  this 
fruit  for  market ;  while  a  still  larger  number,  having  small 
conservatories  and  warm  south  windows,  would  be  pleased 
to  see  a  few  strawberries  blossoming  and  ripening,  as  an 
earnest  of  the  coming  June.  There  are  no  greater  diffi- 
culties in  the  way  than  in  having  flowers,  for  it  is  merely  a 
question  of  doing  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  I  do 
not  believe  in  a  system  of  minute,  arbitrary  directions,  so 
much  as  in  the  clear  statement  of  a  few  general  principles 
that  will  suggest  what  ought  to  be  done.  The  strawberry 
plant  has  the  same  character  indoors  as  out,  and  this  fact 
alone,  in  view  of  what  has  been  written,  should  suggest 
moisture,  coolness,  light,  and  air.  I  shall  endeavor  to 
present,  however,  each  successive  step. 

First,  prepare  a  compost  of  thoroughly  rotted  sods  and 
the  cleanings  of  the  cow- stable,  in  the  proportion  of  three 
parts  sod-mold  to  one  of  manure.  In  the  place  of  sods, 
decayed  leaves,  muck,  sweetened  by  a  year's  exposure  to 
air  and  frost,  or  any  good,  rich  loam  will  answer.  With  this 
compost,  made  fine  and  clean  by  passing  it  through  a  coarse 


FORCING  STRAWBERRIES  UNDER   GLASS.       183 

sieve,  fill  in  June,  and  not  later  than  July,  as  many  three 
inch  pots  as  you  desire ;  then  sink  them  to  their  rims  along 
the  sides  of  the  rows  from  which  you  propose  to  obtain 
winter-bearing  plants.  Varieties  best  adapted  for  forcing 
are  those  of  a  low,  stocky  growth,  bearing  perfect  flowers 
and  sweet  or  high-flavored  berries.  I  should  say  the  Tri- 
omphe  de  Gand  was  the  best,  and  I  observe  that  it  and  the 
La  Constante,  which  it  closely  resembles,  are  highly  recom- 
mended abroad.  The  bush  Alpines  are  said  to  do  finely, 
and  I  should  think  the  Black  Defiance  would  answer  well. 
Mr.  Henderson  speaks  highly  of  the  Champion,  which,  how- 
ever, must  be  grown  with  a  perfect- flowered  kind,  since  it 
is  a  pistillate.  From  the  parent  row,  guide  the  first  runners 
so  that  they  will  take  root  in  the  pots.  Let  each  runner 
form  but  a  single,  strong  plant,  which  it  will  do  in  about 
two  weeks,  filling  the  pot  with  roots.  Then  these  plants, 
with  their  accompanying  balls  of  earth  interlaced  with  roots, 
are  ready  to  be  shifted  into  pots  of  from  six  to  eight  inches 
in  diameter,  which  also  should  be  filled  with  the  compost 
already  described. 

These  larger  pots  should  have  three  or  four  pieces  of 
broken  pottery  in  the  bottom  for  drainage.  One  plant  to 
each  pot  is  sufficient,  and  the  soil  should  be  pressed  firmly 
about  the  roots.  The  methods  of  growers  now  differ  some- 
what, but  all  agree  in  seeking  to  promote  a  continuous  and 
healthy  growth.  It  may  be  necessary  to  place  the  pots  in  a 
half-shady  position  for  a  few  days,  till  the  effects  of  shifting 
are  over,  and  the  roots  have  taken  hold  of  the  new  soil. 
Then  they  should  stand  in  an  open,  airy  position,  close  to- 
gether, where  they  can  receive  daily  attention.  Some  re- 
commend that  they  stand  on  boards,  flagging,  or  bricks,  or 
a  layer  of  coal  ashes,  since  earth-worms  are  thus  kept  out ; 
others  sink  them  in  cold  frames,  where  they  can  be  pro- 


1 84  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

tected  somewhat  from  excessive  heat  and  drenching  storms ; 
while  others,  still,  sink  the  pots  in  the  open  ground,  where 
it  is  convenient  to  care  for  and  water  them.  It  is  obvious 
that  moisture  must  be  steadily  and  continuously  maintained, 
and  the  plants  be  made  to  do  their  best  until  about  the  first 
of  October.  After  this,  they  should  be  watered  very  spar- 
ingly, —  barely  kept  moist,  —  since  it  is  now  our  aim  to 
ripen  the  foliage  and  roots  and  induce  a  season  of  rest. 
At  the  same  time,  they  should  not  be  permitted  to  dry 
out.  About  the  first  of  November,  an  old  hot-bed  pit  can 
be  filled  with  dry  leaves  and  the  pots  plunged  in  them, 
close  together,  up  to  their  rims,  and,  as  the  season  grows 
colder,  the  tops  can  be  covered,  so  as  to  prevent  the  earth 
in  the  pots  from  freezing.  The  top  of  the  pit  can  be  cov- 
ered with  boards  to  keep  out  the  wet,  but  not  so  tightly  as 
to  exclude  the  air.  Our  aim  is  to  keep  the  plants  dormant, 
and  yet  a  little  above  freezing,  and  barely  moist  enough  to 
prevent  the  slightest  shrivelling.  Since  it  requires  from  ten 
to  fourteen  weeks  to  mature  the  fruit  under  glass,  it  would 
be  well  to  subject  some  of  the  plants  to  heat  early  in  Octo- 
ber, so  as  to  have  ripe  berries  at  the  holidays.  They  can 
thereafter  be  taken  from  the  storage  place  every  two  or 
three  weeks,  so  as  to  secure  a  succession.  By  this  course, 
also,  if  a  mishap  befalls  one  lot  of  plants,  there  still  remain 
several  chances  for  winter  fruit. 

In  the  forcing  process,  follow  nature.  The  plants  do  not 
start  suddenly  in  spring,  but  gradually  awaken  into  life.  The 
weather,  also,  is  comparatively  cool  when  they  are  blossom- 
ing. If  these  hints  are  not  taken  in  the  green-house,  there 
may  be  much  promise  but  little  fruit.  If  the  heat  is  turned 
on  too  rapidly  when  the  plants  begins  to  bloom,  the  calyx 
and  corolla  will  probably  develop  properly,  but  the  stamens 
will  be  destitute  of  pollen,  while  the  pistils,  the  most  compli- 


FORCING  STRAWBERRIES  UNDER  GLASS.       185 

cated  part  of  the  flower,  and  that  which  requires  the  longest 
time  for  perfect  formation,  become  "a  mere  tuft  of  abor- 
tions, incapable  of  quickening,  and  shrivelling  into  pitch- 
black  threads  as  soon  as  fully  in  contact  with  the  air." 
Let  the  conditions  within-doors  accord  as  far  as  possible 
with  those  under  the  open  sky.  The  roots  require  coolness, 
continuous  and  evenly  maintained  moisture.  One  check 
from  over-dryness  may  cause  serious  and  lasting  injury. 
The  foliage  needs  air  and  light  in  abundance.  Therefore 
the  pots  should  be  on  shelves  close  to  the  glass ;  otherwise 
the  leaf  and  fruit  stalks  will  be  drawn  and  spindling.  If  the 
pot  can  be  shaded  while  the  plant  is  in  full  light,  all  the  bet- 
ter. When  first  introduced,  the  temperature  should  not  ex- 
ceed 45°  or  50°.  Air  must  be  freely  admitted  at  all  times 
though  much  less  will  suffice,  of  course,  in  cold  than  in  warm 
weather.  Watch  the  foliage,  and  if  it  begins  to  grow  long 
and  without  substance,  give  more  air  and  less  heat.  An 
average  of  55°  to  70°  by  day  may  be  allowed,  and  from  45° 
to  50°  by  night. 

When  the  flower  buds  begin  to  open,  the  forcing  must  be 
conducted  more  slowly  and  evenly,  so  as  to  give  the  delicate 
organs  time  to  perfect;  but  after  the  fruit  is  set,  the  heat 
can  be  increased  till  it  occasionally  reaches  75°  at  midday. 
After  the  fruit  begins  to  color,  give  less  water,  —  barely  suf- 
ficient to  prevent  any  check  in  growth,  and  the  fruit  will 
be  sweeter  and  ripen  faster.  The  upper  blossoms  may  be 
pinched  off,  so  as  to  throw  the  whole  strength  of  the  plant 
into  the  lower  berries.  Keep  off  all  runners ;  syringe  the 
plants  if  infested  with  the  red  spider,  and  if  the  aphis  ap- 
pears, fumigate  him  with  tobacco. 

The  plants  that  have  fruited  need  not  be  thrown  away  as 
useless.  If  they  are  turned  out  of  the  pots  into  rich,  moist 


1 86  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

soil,  in  April,  and  the  runners  are  kept  off  all  summer,  they 
will  make  large,  bushy  stools,  which  will  give  a  fine  crop  in 
autumn. 

The  amateur,  with  a  small  conservatory  or  south  window, 
by  approximating  as  far  as  possible  to  the  conditions  named, 
can  achieve  a  fair  success.  I  have  had  plants  do  moder- 
ately well  by  merely  digging  them  from  the  beds  late  in  the 
fall,  with  considerable  rich  earth  clinging  to  their  roots,  and 
then  potting  with  more  rich  soil,  and  forcing  them  at  once. 
Of  course,  fine  results  cannot  be  expected  from  such  care- 
less work,  but  some  strawberries  can  be  raised  with  very  little 
trouble.  If  one,  however,  wished  to  go  into  the  business  on 
a  large  and  scientific  scale,  I  would  recommend  a  strawberry- 
house,  designed  by  Mr.  William  Ingram,  gardener  at  Belvoir 
Castle.  A  figure  of  this  structure  may  be  seen  on  page  74 
in  Mr.  Fuller's  valuable  work,  "  The  Small  Fruit  Culturist." 
On  the  same  principles  that  we  have  been  describing,  the 
ripening  of  strawberries  can  be  hastened  by  the  use  of  hot 
beds,  cold  frames,  and  ordinary  sash. 

During  the  Christmas  holidays  strawberries  sell  readily  at 
from  $4  to  $8  per  quart,  and  handsome  fruit  brings  high 
prices  till  March ;  but  the  profit  of  raising  them  under  glass 
threatens  to  diminish  in  future  years,  since  Florida  berries 
begin  to  arrive  freely  even  in  February.  There  are  those 
who  now  seem  to  be  doing  well  in  the  business  of  forcing, 
if  we  may  judge  from  the  jealousy  with  which  they  guard 
the  open  secrets  of  their  calling  from  their  neighbors. 

A  rough  and  ready  method  of  forcing  is  to  dig  up  clumps 
of  plants  during  a  mild  spell  in  winter  or  early  spring,  put 
them  in  boxes  or  pots  of  rich  earth,  and  take  them  into  the 
green-house.  Considerable  fruit  is  sometimes  ripened  in 
this  way. 


FORCING  STRAWBERRIES  UNDER   GLASS.       l8/ 

An  English  writer  says :  "  We  find  forced  strawberries 
mentioned  as  being  served  at  an  installation  dinner,  April 
23d,  1667 ;  but  the  idea  had  already  occurred  to  the  great 
Lord  Bacon,  who  writes,  '  As  we  have  housed  the  exotics  of 
hot  countries,  so  we  may  house  our  natives  to  forward  them, 
and  thus  have  violets,  strawberries,  and  pease  all  winter.' " 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

ORIGINATING   NEW   VARIETIES HYBRIDIZATION. 

*TpHIS  chapter  introduces  us  to  great  diversities  of  opin- 
ion,  and  to  still  greater  differences  in  experience  ;  and 
'i  fear  that  I  shall  leave  the  subject  as  indefinite  as  I  find  it. 
The  scientist  best  versed  in  botany  and  the  laws  of  heredity, 
can  here  find  a  field  that  would  tax  his  best  skill  for  a  life- 
time, and  yet  a  child  may  amuse  himself  with  raising  new 
kinds ;  and  it  would  not  be  impossible  that,  through  some 
lucky  combination  of  nature,  the  latter  might  produce  a 
variety  that  would  surpass  the  results  of  the  learned  man's 
labor.  As  in  most  other  activities  of  life,  however,  the  prob- 
abilities are  on  the  side  of  skill  and  continuous  effort. 

We  have  already  shown  that  all  the  seeds  of  the  F.  Vir- 
%iniana  and  F.  Chilensis  may  produce  a  new  variety.  These 
seedlings  often  closely  resemble  the  parent  or  parents,  and 
sometimes  are  practically  identical  with  one  of  them ;  more 
often  they  present  distinct  differences.  It  is  wholly  impos- 
sible to  predict  the  character  of  seedlings  as  they  usually 
are  produced.  If  we  could  obtain  pure  specimens  of  the 
two  great  species,  and  cross  them,  the  element  of  chance 
would  not  enter  into  the  result  so  largely  as  must  be  the 
case  when  seed  is  gathered  in  our  gardens.  The  pedigrees 
of  but  few  varieties  are  known,  and  in  many  instances  the 
two  great  races  are  so  mingled  that  we  can  only  guess  which 
element  predominates,  by  the  behavior  and  appearance  of 
the  plants.  The  kinds  with  which  we  start  are  hybrids, 


NEW  VARIETIES— HYBRIDIZATION.  189 

and,  as  Mr.  A.  S.  Fuller  sagaciously  remarks,  "  Hybridizing, 
or  crossing  hybrids,  is  only  mixing  together  two  compounds, 
the  exact  proportions  of  neither  being  known."  Therefore, 
the  inevitable  element  of  chance.  Disagreeable  traits  and 
shiftless  ways  of  strawberry  grandparents  and  great- grand- 
parents may  develop  themselves  in  a  seedling  produced  by 
the  union  of  two  first-class  varieties.  At  the  same  time  it 
is  possible  that  fine  ancestral  qualities  may  also  assert  them- 
selves. The  chance  seedling,  which  comes  up  in  a  garden 
where  good  varieties  have  been  raised,  may  prove  a  prize. 
The  Forest  Rose  was  found  growing  in  a  vineyard.  If  we 
propose  to  raise  seedlings,  however,  we  will,  of  course,  select 
seeds  from  the  best  fruit  of  fine  varieties,  even  in  our  first 
and  most  rudimental  efforts.  Before  making  any  serious  or 
prolonged  attempt  to  originate  new  varieties,  it  would  be 
well  to  familiarize  ourselves  with  certain  principles,  and 
gather  experience  from  the  successes  and  failures  of  others. 
We  have  seen  that  the  F.  Virginiana  is  the  native  species 
of  the  eastern  section  of  our  continent,  and  that  its  vigor 
and  hardiness  best  adapt  it  to  our  extremes  of  climate.  It 
were  best  to  start,  therefore,  with  the  most  vigorous  strains 
and  varieties  of  this  hardy  species.  It  is  true  that  fine  re- 
sults can  be  obtained  from  crossing  varieties  of  the  F.  Chil- 
ensis  with  our  native  species,  —  the  President  Wilder  proves 
this,  —  but  few  of  such  products  are  adapted  to  the  country 
at  large,  and  they  will  be  almost  sure  to  falter  on  light  soils. 
We  will  achieve  our  best  success  in  developing  our  native 
species.  By  observation,  careful  reading  of  the  horticultural 
journals,  and  by  correspondence,  the  propagator  can  learn 
what  varieties  show  vigor  and  productiveness  throughout  a 
wide  range  of  country,  and  in  great  diversities  of  soil  and 
climate.  These  sturdy  kinds,  that  seem  bent  on  doing  well 
everywhere,  should  be  the  robust  forefathers  of  the  straw- 


I9O  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

berries  of  the  future.  Starting  with  these,  we  are  already 
well  on  the  way  toward  the  excellence  we  hope  to  attain. 
The  pith  of  our  difficulty  now  is  to  make  any  further  ad- 
vance. How  can  we  surpass  that  superb  group  of  berries 
that  prove  their  excellence  year  after  year? 

As  Mr.  Durand  well  puts  it,  new  varieties,  to  be  of  value, 
should  produce  berries  that  "  measure  from  four  to  eight 
inches  in  circumference,  of  good  form,  color  and  flavor; 
very  large  specimens  are  not  expected  to  be  perfect  in  form, 
yet  those  of  medium  size  should  always  be.  The  caiyx 
should  never  be  imbedded  in  the  flesh,  which  should  be 
sufficiently  firm  to  carry  well,  and  withstand  all  changes  of 
our  variable  climate.  The  texture  should  be  fine,  flesh  rich, 
with  a  moderate  amount  of  acid,  —  no  more  than  just  suffi- 
cient to  make  it  palatable  with  sugar  cs  a  table  berry.  The 
plant  should  be  hardy,  vigorous,  large,  and  strong ;  of  great 
endurance  as  to  climatic  change,  and  able  to  stand  any 
amount  of  manure  of  the  right  kind.  It  should  be  a  pro- 
lific bearer,  with  stalks  of  sufficient  length  to  keep  the  fruit 
out  of  the  dirt,  and  bear  its  berries  of  nearly  uniform  size 
to  the  end.  Any  serious  departure  from  such  necessary 
qualities  would  be  fatal  to  any  new  variety." 

What  is  the  use  of  spending  time  on  varieties  that  do  not 
possess  these  good  qualities,  or  many  of  them,  so  pre-emi- 
nently that  they  supersede  those  already  in  our  gardens? 
Shall  I  root  out  the  Charles  Downing,  Seth  Boyden,  and 
Monarch,  and  replace  them  with  inferior  kirids  because  they 
are  new  ?  That  is  what  we  have  been  doing  too  extensively. 
But  if,  in  very  truth,  varieties  can  be  originated  that  do  sur- 
pass the  best  we  now  have,  then  both  common-sense  and  self- 
interest  should  lead  to  their  general  cultivation.  I  believe  that 
honest  and  intelligent  effort  can  secure  a  continued  advance  in 
excellence  which  will  probably  be  slow,  but  may  be  sure. 


NEW  VARIETIES— HYBRIDIZATION'.  191 

The  public,  however,  will  suffer  many  disappointments, 
and  every  year  will  buy  thousands  of  some  extravagantly 
praised  and  high-priced  new  variety,  in  hope  of  obtaining 
the  ideal  strawberry ;  and  they  so  often  get  a  good  thing 
among  the  blanks  that  they  seem  disposed  to  continue  in- 
definitely this  mild  form  of  speculation.  In  the  final  result 
merit  asserts  itself,  and  there  is  a  survival  of  the  fittest. 
The  process  of  winnowing  the  wheat  from  the  chaff  is  a 
costly  one  to  many,  however.  I  have  paid  hundreds  of 
dollars  for  varieties  that  I  now  regard  as  little  better  than 
weeds.  From  thorough  knowledge  of  the  best  kinds  already 
in  cultivation,  the  propagator  should  not  impose  any  second- 
rate  kind  on  the  public.  And  yet  the  public,  or  the  law 
which  the  public  sustains,  renders  this  duty  difficult.  If  a 
man  invents  a  peculiar  nutmeg-grater,  his  patent  protects 
him ;  but  if  he  discovers,  or  originates,  a  fruit  that  enriches 
the  world,  any  one  who  can  get  it,  by  fair  means  or  foul, 
may  propagate  and  sell  to  all.  To  reap  any  advantages, 
the  originator  must  put  his  seedling,  which  may  have  cost 
him  years  of  effort,  into  the  market  before  it  is  fully  and 
widely  tested.  If  he  sends  it  for  trial  to  other  localities, 
there  is  much  danger  of  its  falling  into  improper  hands. 
The  variety  may  do  splendidly  in  its  native  garden,  and  yet 
not  be  adapted  to  general  cultivation.  This  fact,  which 
might  have  been  learned  by  trial  throughout  the  country 
before  being  sent  out,  if  there  was  protective  law,  is  learned 
afterward,  to  the  cost  of  the  majority  who  buy.  In  view  of 
the  above  considerations,  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  pecuni- 
ary reward  will  often  repay  for  the  time,  trouble,  and  ex- 
pense which  is  usually  required  to  produce  a  variety  worthy 
of  general  introduction.  Other  motives  than  money  must 
actuate.  As  Mr.  Durand  once  said,  when  so  perplexed  by 
the  difficulties  and  complications  of  his  labor,  and  so  dis- 


*92  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

heartened  by  the  results  that  he  was  inclined  to  throw  down 
the  burden,  "There  is  a  fascination  that  binds  me  still." 
In  other  words,  he  was  engaged  in  one  of  the  divinest  forms 
of  alchemy. 

Having  procured  the  vigorous  stock  from  which  we  hope 
to  obtain  still  stronger  and  more  productive  varieties,  we 
may  go  to  work  several  ways.  We  may  plant  our  choice 
varieties  in  close  proximity,  and  let  the  bees  and  summer 
gales  do  the  hybridizing.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the 
organs  of  procreation  in  the  perfect  strawberry  blossom  are 
the  pistils  on  the  convex  receptacle  and  the  encircling  sta- 
mens. The  anthers  of  the  latter  produce  a  golden  powder, 
so  light  that  it  will  float  on  a  summer  breeze,  and  so  fine 
that  insects  dust  themselves  with  it  and  carry  it  long  dis- 
tances. When  this  dust,  which  is  called  pollen,  comes  in 
contact  with  the  stigma  of  a  pistil,  it  imparts  the  power  of 
development  both  to  the  seed  and  that  which  sustains  it,  — 
the  receptacle  which  is  eventually  transformed  into  the  juicy 
pulp.  If  the  pistih  are  not  fertilized,  there  will  be  no  straw- 
berries, as  well  as  no  seeds.  Perfect- flowering  varieties, 
therefore,  are  self-fertilizing.  There  are  stamens  and  pistils 
in  the  same  flower,  and  the  pollen  from  the  former  impreg- 
nates the  latter.  In  view  of  this  fact,  the  probabilities  are 
all  against  success  in  obtaining  an  improved  variety.  While 
the  pollen  may  pass  from  one  perfect- flowering  kind  to 
another,  and  produce  a  seed  which  will  give  a  new  combi- 
nation, the  chances  of  self-fertilization,  and  that,  in  conse- 
quence, the  seeds  will  produce  degenerate  and  somewhat 
varying  counterparts  of  the  parent,  are  so  great  that  it  is 
a  waste  of  time  to  plant  them.  There  is  little  to  be  hoped, 
therefore,  from  the  seed  of  perfect-flowering  kinds  left  to 
nature's  influences. 

In  this  country,  we  have  pistillate  varieties,  or  those  that 


NEW  VARIETIES— HYBRIDIZATION.  193 

are  wholly  destitute  of  stamens.  Mr.  Fuller  says  that,  for 
some  reason,  they  do  not  originate  abroad.  It  is  obvious 
that,  with  these  pistillates,  we  can  attain  a  direct  cross  with 
some  staminate  or  perfect-flowering  variety ;  but  if  our  pistil- 
lates grow  openly  in  the  garden,  near  several  staminates,  the 
seeds  sown  may  have  been  fertilized  by  the  poorest  of  them, 
or  by  pollen  from  wild  strawberries,  brought  by  the  wind  or 
insects.  It  is  all  hap-hazard  work,  and  we  can  only  guess 
at  the  parentage  of  the  seedlings.  There  is  no  skilful  com- 
bination of  good  qualities,  such  as  the  stock  farmer  makes 
when  he  mingles  good  blood.  Gathering  the  seed,  there- 
fore, in  our  gardens,  even  under  the  most  favorable  auspices, 
is  the  veriest  game  of  hazard,  with  nearly  all  the  chances 
against  us ;  and  yet  superb  varieties  are  occasionally  pro- 
cured in  this  way.  Indeed,  as  we  have  seen,  they  some- 
times come  up  themselves,  and  assert  their  merit  wholly 
unaided.  By  such  methods,  however,  the  propagator  has 
not  one  chance  in  thousands,  as  much  experience  shows. 

We  are,  therefore,  led  to  isolate  our  plants,  and  to  seek 
intelligently  and  definitely  to  unite  the  good  qualities  of  two 
distinct  varieties.  If  they  have  no  pistillate  plants  abroad, 
they  must  remove  all  the  stamens  from  some  perfect  flower 
before  they  are  sufficiently  developed  to  shed  their  pollen, 
and  then  fertilize  the  pistils  with  the  stamens  of  the  other  va- 
riety whose  qualities  they  wish  to  enter  into  the  combination. 
There  is  no  need  of  our  doing  this,  for  it  involves  much 
trouble  and  care  at  best,  and  then  we  are  always  haunted  by 
the  fear  that  the  stamens  were  not  removed  in  time,  or  so 
completely  as  to  prevent  self-fertilization.  With  such  pistil- 
late varieties  as  the  Golden  Defiance,  Champion,  Springdale, 
and  Crescent,  we  have  as  robust  motherhood  as  we  require. 

In  order  to  present  to  the  reader  the  most  approved  sys- 
tems of  hybridization,  I  will  give  the  methods  of  two  gentle- 

13 


194  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS, 

men  who  are  among  the  best  known  in  relation  to  this 
subject. 

The  late  Mr.  Seth  Boyden  won  world-wide  celebrity  by 
his  success,  and  the  berry  named  after  him  will  perpetuate 
his  memory  for  many  years  to  come.  When  grown  under 
the  proper  conditions,  it  presents  a  type  of  excellence  still 
unsurpassed. 

Mr.  Boyden's  neighbor,  Mr.  Ogden  Brown,  of  Hilton, 
N.  J.,  writes  to  me  as  follows :  — 

"  My  method  of  raising  seedlings  is  the  one  practised  by  Mr. 
Boyden.  In  August  I  set  the  plants  from  which  I  wish  to  se- 
cure new  combinations  in  a  plot  of  ground  the  size  of  my  glass 
frame,  and  in  early  spring  set  the  frame  over  them,  so  that  the 
plants  may  blossom  before  any  others.  Thus,  no  mixture  from 
the  pollen  of  outside  plants  can  take  place,  for  none  are  in 
bloom  save  those  in  the  frame.  The  plants  within  the  frame 
are  two  or  three  pistillate  plants,  all  of  one  good  variety  like  the 
Champion ;  and  three  or  four  superior,  perfect-flowering  kinds, 
any  one  of  which,  I  think,  will  make  a  good  combination  with 
the  pistillate  variety.  The  seeds  from  the  pistillate  only  are 
used,  and  when  the  fruit  is  ripened,  these  seeds  are  slightly 
dried  and  placed  between  two  pieces  of  ice  for  about  two  weeks. 
I  then  put  them  in  pure  sand,  wrapped  up  in  a  wet  rag,  and 
keep  them  sufficiently  near  the  fire  to  preserve  constant  warmth 
until  the  germs  are  ready  to  burst  forth.  I  then  sow  the  seeds 
in  a  bed  of  finely  riddled  rich  earth,  and  cover  with  boards 
about  six  inches  from  the  soil.  This  is  to  prevent  the  sun  from 
drying  the  ground.  Plants  thus  raised  will  be  sufficiently  large 
to  set  in  the  fruiting-bed  in  September.  In  the  fifteen  years 
that  I  was  acquainted  with  Mr.  Boyden,  I  never  knew  him  to 
fail  in  raising  fruit  from  these  plants  the  following  summer.  I 
do  not  know  that  Mr.  Boyden's  method  has  been  improved 
upon." 

Mr.  J.  M.  Merrick,  Jr.  recommends  this  same  isolation  of 
the  pistillate  plant  under  glass. 


NEW  VARIETIES— HYBRIDIZATION.  195 

It  should  be  distinctly  understood  that  while  several  per- 
fect-flowering plants  may  be  placed  under  the  sash  with  a 
pistillate,  the  pollen  of  only  one  of  these  can  fertilize  a  pistil. 
Mixing  pollen  from  different  kinds  will  never  produce  in  a 
seedling  the  qualities  of  three  or  more  varieties.  The  seed- 
ling is  the  product  of  two  kinds  only.  Inclosing  the  plants 
in  a  frame  insures  that  all  the  pistils  are  fertilized  by  one  or 
the  other  of  the  perfect- flowered  varieties  that  are  so  fine  as 
to  promise  a  better  combination  of  excellence  than  yet  ex- 
ists. The  appearance  of  the  seedling  will  probably  show 
which  of  the  kinds  formed  the  combination,  but  often  there 
would  be  uncertainty  on  this  point,  I  think. 

Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  who  sent  out  the  Black  Defiance, 
Great  American,  Beauty,  Pioneer,  and  several  others,  claims 
that  the  "  true  method  is  to  propagate  by  pairs,  each  parent 
possessing  certain  distinctive  features."  "  My  course," 
he  writes,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  N.  J.  State  Horticul- 
tural Society,  "  is  to  select  my  pistillates  after  years  of  trial, 
subject  them  to  severe  tests,  and  place  alongside  of  each  such 
a  staminate  as  I  think  will  harmonize  and  produce  a  certain 
desired  effect.  Another  pistillate  plant,  of  the  same  variety, 
is  placed  far  away  from  the  last,  with  a  different  staminate, 
and  so  on,  till  I  exhaust  the  staminates  or  perfect-flowering 
kinds  that  I  wish  to  test  with  that  pistillate  variety.  Of  late 
years,  I  have  used  but  two  or  three  kinds  of  pistillate  plants, 
and  they  are  a  combination  of  excellence.  I  never  show 
them  to  my  most  intimate  friends,  and  the  public  know 
nothing  about  them.  The  years  of  trial  and  experiment 
necessary  to  produce  such  plants  must  necessarily  discour- 
age a  beginner ;  yet  it  is  the  only  course  that  will  lead  to 
success." 

I  think  that  Mr.  Durand  takes  too  gloomy  a  view  of  the 
subject,  and  I  can  see  no  reason  why  any  one  starting  with 


196  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS, 

such  pistillates  as  the  Golden  Defiance,  Champion,  and 
others,  may  not  originate  a  variety  superior  to  any  now  in 
existence.  At  the  same  time,  I  must  caution  against  over- 
sanguine  hopes.  Mr.  Durand  states  the  interesting  fact  that 
he  generally  produces  3,000  new  varieties  annually,  and  in- 
cluding the  year  1876,  he  had  already  originated  about 
50,000  seedlings.  While  some  of  these  have  already  secured 
great  celebrity,  like  the  Great  American,  I  do  not  know  of 
one  that  promises  to  maintain  a  continued  and  national 
popularity.  I  regard  his  old  Black  Defiance  and  the  later 
Pioneer  as  his  best  seedlings,  so  far  as  I  have  seen  them. 
Very  many  others  do  not  have  even  his  success.  We  may 
have  to  experiment  for  years  before  we  obtain  a  seedling 
worth  preserving ;  nevertheless,  in  the  heart  of  each  propa- 
gator lurks  the  hope  that  he  may  draw  the  prize  of  prizes. 

I  will  close  this  chapter  with  a  few  simple  and  practical 
suggestions.  It  is  not  necessary  to  place  the  seeds  in  ice. 
They  may  be  sown  in  July,  in  rich  soil,  rendered  fine  and 
mellow,  and  in  a  half-shady  position ;  and  the  surface  should 
be  kept  moist  by  watering,  and  a  sprinkling  of  a  little  very  fine 
compost,  that  will  prevent  the  ground  from  baking.  Some 
of  the  seeds  will  germinate  that  season,  more  will  come  up 
the  following  spring.  Or,  they  may  be  started  in  a  cold 
frame  under  glass,  and  hastened  in  their  growth  so  that 
good-sized  plants  are  ready  for  the  fruiting-bed  by  Septem- 
ber. Mr.  Durand  plants  his  seed  in  the  spring,  and  the 
seedlings  bear  the  following  year.  The  plants  should  be  set 
eighteen  inches  apart  each  way  in  the  fruiting-bed.  When 
they  blossom,  note  and  mark  all  the  pistillates  as  such. 
Those  that  grow  feebly,  and  whose  foliage  scalds  or  burns  in 
the  sun,  root  out  at  once.  The  Spartan  law  of  death  to  the 
feeble  and  deformed  sho'uld  be  rigorously  enforced  in  the 
fruit  garden.  The  first  year  of  fruiting  will  satisfy  you  that 


NEW  VARIETIES  — HYBRIDIZATION.  197 

the  majority  of  seedlings  are  to  be  thrown  away.  Those  that 
give  special  promise  should  be  lifted  with  a  large  ball  of 
earth,  and  planted  where  they  may  be  kept  pure  from  mix- 
ture, and  given  further  trial.  Remember  that  a  seedling  may 
do  better  the  first  year  than  ever  after,  and  that  only  a  con- 
tinued and  varied  trial  can  prove  its  worth.  All  runners  should 
be  kept  off,  unless  the  ground  is  infested  with  grubs,  and  there 
is  danger  of  losing  a  promising  variety  of  which  we  have  but 
one  specimen.  If  so  fortunate  as  to  raise  superior  seedlings, 
test  them  side  by  side,  and  under  the  same  conditions  with 
the  best  kinds  in  existence,  before  calling  to  them  public 
attention.  Try  them,  also,  in  light  and  heavy  soils ;  and,  if 
possible,  send  them  to  trusted  friends  who  will  subject  them 
to  varied  climates  in  widely  separated  localities.  If,  how- 
ever, you  find  them  vigorous  and  productive  on  the  light, 
poor  soils  of  your  own  place,  you  may  hope  much  for  them 
elsewhere.  No  berry  will  be  generally  popular  that  requires 
much  petting.  I  only  state  this  as  a  fact.  In  my  opinion, 
some  varieties  are  so  superb  in  size  and  flavor  that  they  de- 
serve high  culture,  and  well  repay  it. 

It  is  a  question  whether,  except  for  the  purposes  of  propa- 
gation, pistillate  varieties  should  be  preserved  and  sent  out. 
Mr.  Fuller  and  others  take  ground  against  them,  and  their 
views  are  entitled  to  great  respect,  but  with  such  kinds  as 
the  Golden  Defiance  and  Champion  in  my  garden,  1  am  not 
prepared  to  condemn  them.  One  objection  urged  against 
them  is  that  many  purchase  a  single  variety,  and,  should  it 
prove  a  pistillate,  they  would  have  no  fruit.  They  would 
not  deserve  any,  if  they  gave  the  subject  so  little  attention. 
Every  fruit  catalogue  states  which  are  pistillates,  and  their 
need  of  a  perfect- flowering  kind  near  them.  Again,  it  is 
urged  that  this  necessary  proximity  of  two  kinds  leads  to 
mixtures.  It  need  not,  and,  with  the  plant  grower,  can  only 
I—ROE— XVII 


198  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

result  from  gross  carelessness.  The  different  beds  may  be 
yards  apart.  In  order  to  secure  thorough  fertilization,  it  is 
not  at  all  necessary  to  plant  so  near  that  the  two  kinds  can 
run  together.  In  a  large  field  of  pistillates,  every  tenth  row 
should  be  of  a  staminate,  blossoming  at  the  same  time  with 
the  pistillate.  The  Kentucky  seedling  is  a  first-class  stami- 
nate, but  it  should  not  be  used  to  fertilize  the  Crescent, 
since  the  latter  would  almost  be  out  of  bloom  before  the 
former  began  to  blossom.  Plant  early  pistillates  with  early 
staminates,  and  late  with  late. 

Many  ask  me,  "  Do  strawberries  mix  by  being  planted 
near  each  other?  "  They  mix  only  by  running  together,  so 
that  you  can  scarcely  distinguish  the  two  kinds ;  but  a  Wil- 
son plant  will  produce  Wilson  runners  to  the  end  of  time ; 
and  were  one  plant  surrounded  by  a  million  other  varieties, 
it  would  still  maintain  the  Wilson  characteristics.  It  is 
through  the  seeds,  and  seeds  only,  that  one  variety  has  any 
appreciable  effect  upon  another.  Many  have  confused  ideas 
on  this  point. 

A  man  brought  to  the  Centennial  Exhibition,  at  Philadel- 
phia, a  pot  of  strawberries  that  attracted  great  attention,  for 
the  fruit  was  magnificent.  I  suggested  to  him  that  it  resem- 
bled the  Jucunda,  and  he  said  that  it  was  a  cross  between 
that  berry  and  the  Seth  Boyden.  This  was  a  combination 
that  promised  so  well  that  I  went  twenty  miles,  on  a  very 
hot  day,  to  see  his  bed,  and  found  that  the  crossing  was 
simply  the  interlacing  of  the  runners  of  the  two  distinct  va- 
rieties, and  that  I  could  tell  the  intermingled  Jucunda  and 
Boyden  plants  apart  at  a  glance.  Such  crossing  would  make 
no  marked  change  in  varieties  if  continued  for  centuries. 

The  enemies  and  diseases  of  the  strawberry  will  be 
grouped  in  a  general  chapter  on  these  subjects. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

RASPBERRIES SPECIES,    HISTORY,    PROPAGATION,   ETC. 

T  HAVE  given  the  greater  part  of  this  volume  to  the  sub- 
ject  of  strawberries,  not  only  because  it  is  the  most 
popular  fruit,  but  also  for  the  reason  that  the  principles  of 
thorough  preparation  of  the  soil,  drainage,  culture,  &c.,  ap- 
ply equally  to  the  other  small  fruits.  Those  who  have  fol- 
lowed me  carefully  thus  far  can  soon  master  the  conditions 
of  success  which  apply  to  the  fruits  still  to  be  treated.  I 
shall  now  consider  a  fruit  which  is  only  second  in  value, 
and,  by  many,  even  preferred  to  all  the  others. 

Like  the  strawberry,  the  raspberry  is  well  connected,  since 
it,  also,  belongs  to  the  Rose  family.  It  has  a  perennial  root, 
producing  biennial  woody  stems  that  reach  a  height  of  from 
three  to  six  feet.  Varieties,  however,  differ  greatly  in  this 
respect.  Usually,  the  stems  or  canes  do  not  bear  until  the 
second  year,  and  that  season  ends  their  life,  their  place  be- 
ing taken  by  a  new  growth  from  the  root.  The  flowers  are 
white  or  red,  very  unobtrusive,  and  rich  in  sweetness.  The 
discriminating  bees  forsake  most  other  flowers  while  the 
raspberry  blossoms  last.  The  pistils  on  the  convex  recep- 
tacle mature  into  a  collection  of  small  drupes,  or  stone 
fruits,  of  the  same  character  as  the  cherry,  plum,  etc.,  and 
the  seeds  within  the  drupes  are  miniature  pits.  These 
drupes  adhere  together,  forming  round  or  conical  caps, 
which  will  drop  from  the  receptable  when  over-ripe.  I 


200  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

have  seen  the  ground  covered  with  the  fruit  of  certain  va- 
rieties, when  picking  has  been  delayed. 

All  peoples  seem  to  have  had  a  feeling  sense  of  the 
spines,  or  thorns  of  this  plant,  as  may  be  gathered  from  its 
name  in  different  languages ;  the  Italian  term  is  Raspo,  the 
Scotch  Raspis,  and  the  German  Kratsberre,  or  Scratchberry. 

The  Greeks  traced  the  raspberry  to  Mount  Ida,  and  the 
original  bush  may  have  grown  in  the  shadowy  glade  where 
the  "  Shepherd  Alexandre,"  alias  Paris,  son  of  Priam,  King 
of  Troy,  gave  his  fateful  decision  in  favor  of  Venus.  Juno 
and  Minerva  undoubtedly  beguiled  the  time,  while  the  fa- 
vored goddess  presented  her  claims,  by  eating  the  fruit,  and 
perhaps  enhanced  their  competitive  beauty  by  touching 
their  cheeks  with  an  occasional  berry.  At  any  rate,  the 
raspberry  of  the  ancients  is  Rubus  Id<zus. 

The  elder  Pliny,  who  wrote  not  far  from  45  A.  D.,  states 
that  the  Greeks  distinguished  the  raspberry  bramble  by  the 
term  "  Idcea"  and,  like  so  many  other  Grecian  ideas,  it  has 
found  increasing  favor  ever  since.  Mr.  A.  S.  Fuller,  one  of 
the  best-read  authorities  on  these  subjects,  writes  that  "  Pal- 
adius,  a  Roman  agricultural  author  who  flourished  in  the 
fourth  century,  mentions  the  raspberry  as  one  of  the  culti- 
vated fruits  of  his  time."  It  thus  appears  that  it  was  pro- 
moted to  the  garden  long  before  the  strawberry  was  so 
honored. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  raspberry  in  various  forms  is 
found  wild  throughout  the  continent,  and  that  the  ancient 
gardeners  in  most  instances  obtained  their  supply  of  plants 
in  the  adjacent  fields  or  forests,  the  late  Mr.  A.  J.  Down- 
ing is  of  the  opinion  that  the  large-fruited  foreign  varieties 
are  descendants  of  the  "Mount  Ida  Bramble,"  and  from 
that  locality  were  introduced  into  the  gardens  of  southern 
Europe. 


RASPBERRIES— SPECIES,  HISTORY,  ETC.       2OI 

In  America,  two  well-known  and  distinct  species  are  en- 
riching our  gardens  and  gracing  our  tables  with  their  health- 
ful fruit.  We  will  first  name  R.  Strigosus,  or  the  wild  red 
raspberry,  almost  as  dear  to  our  memory  as  the  wild  straw- 
berry. It  grows  best  along  the  edge  of  woodlands  and  in 
half-shadowy  places  that  seem  equally  adapted  to  lovers' 
rambles. 

Nature,  too,  in  a  kindly  mood,  seems  to  have  scattered 
the  seeds  of  this  fruit  along  the  road-side,  thus  fringing  the 
highway  in  dusty,  hot  July  with  ambrosial  food. 

Professor  Gray  thus  describes  the  native  red  species : 
"  R.  Strigosus,  Wild  Red  R.  Common,  especially  North ; 
from  two  to  three  feet  high ;  the  upright  stems,  stalks,  etc., 
beset  with  copious  bristles,  and  some  of  them  becoming  weak 
prickles,  also  glandular ;  leaflets  oblong-ovate,  pointed,  cut- 
serrate,  white-downy  beneath,  the  lateral  ones  (either  one 
or  two  pairs)  not  stalked ;  petals  as  long  as  the  sepals ; 
fruit  light- red,  tender  and  watery,  but  high  flavored,  ripen- 
ing all  summer." 

The  second  great  American  species,  R.  Occidentalis,  wifl 
be  described  hereafter.  Since  this  book  is  not  designed  to 
teach  botany,  I  shall  not  refer  to  the  other  species,  —  R. 
Triflorus,  R.  Odoratus,  R.  Nutkanno,  etc.,  —  which  are  of 
no  practical  value,  and,  for  the  present,  will  confine  myself 
to  the  propagation  and  cultivation  of  R.  Idceus  and  R.  Stri- 
gosus;  and  their  seedlings. 

PROPAGATION. 

Usually,  varieties  of  these  two  species  throw  up  suckers 
from  the  roots  in  sufficient  abundance  for  all  practical  pur- 
poses, and  these  young  canes  from  between  the  hills  or  rows 
are>  in  most  instances,  the^  plants  of  commerce,  and  the 


2O2  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

means  of  extending  our  plantations.  But  where  a  variety  is 
scarce,  or  the  purpose  is  to  increase  it  rapidly,  we  can  dig 
out  the  many  interlacing  roots  that  fill  the  soil  between  the 
hills,  cut  them  into  two-inch  pieces,  and  each  may  be  de- 
veloped within  a  year  into  a  good  plant.  Fall  is  the  best 
season  for  making  root  cuttings,  and  it  can  be  continued  as 
late  as  the  frost  permits.  My  method  is  to  store  the  roots 
in  a  cellar,  and  cut  them  from  time  to  time,  after  out-of- 
door  work  is  over.  I  have  holes  bored  in  the  bottom  of  a 
box  to  insure  drainage,  spread  over  it  two  inches  of  moist 
(not  wet)  earth,  then  an  inch  layer  of  the  root  cuttings,  a 
thin  layer  of  earth  again,  then  cuttings  until  the  box  is  full. 
If  the  cellar  is  cool  and  free  from  frost,  the  cuttings  may  be 
kept  there  until  spring ;  or  the  boxes  containing  them  can 
be  buried  so  deeply  on  a  dry  knoll  in  a  garden  as  to  be  be- 
low frost.  Leaves  piled  above  them  insure  safety.  Make 
sure  that  the  boxes  are  buried  where  no  water  can  collect 
either  on  or  beneath  the  surface.  Before  new  roots  can  be 
made  by  a  cutting,  a  whitish  excrescence  appears  at  both  its 
ends,  called  the  callus,  and  from  this  the  rootlets  start  out. 
This  essential  process  goes  on  throughout  the  winter,  and 
therefore  the  advantage  of  making  cuttings  in  the  fall.  Oc- 
casionally, in  the  fall,  we  may  obtain  a  variety  that  we  are 
anxious  to  increase,  in  which  case  some  of  the  roots  may  be 
taken  off  for  cuttings  before  setting  out  the  plants. 

These  little  root-slips  may  be  sown,  as  one  would  sow 
peas,  early  in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  dry  enough 
to  work.  A  plot  of  rich,  moist  land  should  be  chosen,  and 
the  soil  made  mellow  and  fine,  as  if  for  seed  ;  drills  should 
then  be  opened  eighteen  inches  apart,  two  inches  deep  on 
heavy  land,  and  three  inches  deep  on  light.  The  cuttings 
must  now  be  dropped  three  inches  from  each  other  in  the 
little  furrows,  the  ground  levelled  over  them  and  firmed, 


PROPA  GA  TION.  2O3 

which  is  best  done  by  walking  on  a  board  laid  on  the  cov- 
ered drill,  or  else  by  the  use  of  a  garden  roller.  If  the 
entire  cutting- bed  were  well  sprinkled  with  fine  compost,  and 
then  covered  so  lightly  —  from  one  quarter  to  half  an  inch 
—  with  a  mulch  of  straw  that  the  shoots  could  come  through 
it  without  hindrance,  scarcely  a  cutting  would  fail.  Unfailing 
moisture,  without  wetness,  is  what  a  cutting  requires. 

Roots  may  be  divided  into  half-inch  bits,  if  forced  under 
glass,  and  in  this  way  nurserymen  often  speedily  provide 
themselves  with  large  stocks  of  very  scarce  varieties.  The 
cuttings  are  placed  in  boxes  of  sand  until  the  callus  forms, 
and  little  buds  appear  on  the  surface  of  the  roots,  for  which 
processes  about  five  weeks  are  required.  They  are  then 
sown  in  shallow  boxes  containing  about  three  inches  of  soil, 
formed  of  equal  parts  of  sand  and  decayed  leaves,  and  sub- 
jected to  the  heat  of  the  green-house.  When  they  have 
formed  plants  from  three  to  five  inches  high,  they  may  be 
potted,  if  very  valuable ;  or,  if  the  weather  is  warm  enough, 
they  can  be  transplanted  at  once  into  the  open  nursery-bed, 
as  one  would  a  strawberry  plant.  I  have  set  out  many  thou- 
sands in  this  way,  only  aiming  to  keep  a  little  earth  clinging 
to  the  roots  as  I  took  them  from  the  shallow  box.  Plants 
grown  from  cuttings  are  usually  regarded  as  the  best ;  but 
if  a  sucker  plant  is  taken  up  with  fibrous  roots,  I  should 
regard  it  as  equally  good. 

If  we  wish  to  try  our  fortune  in  originating  new  varieties, 
we  gather  the  largest  and  earliest  berries,  dry  them,  and 
plant  the  seeds  the  following  spring ;  or  we  may  separate 
the  seeds  from  the  pulp  by  expressing  it  and  mixing  them 
with  dry  sand,  until  they  are  in  a  condition  to  be  sown 
evenly  in  a  sheltered  place  at  once.  As  with  strawberries, 
they  should  be  raked  lightly  into  moist,  rich  soil,  the  surface 
of  which  should  not  be  allowed  to  become  dry  and  hard. 


2O4  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

The  probabilities  are  that  they  will  germinate  early  in  the 
spring  and  produce  canes  strong  enough  to  bear  the  second 
year.  If  the  seed  is  from  a  kind  that  cannot  endure  frost, 
the  young  plant  should  receive  thorough  winter  protection. 
There  is  nothing  better  than  a  covering  of  earth.  In  the 
spring  of  the  second  year,  cut  the  young  plant  down  to  the 
ground,  and  it  will  send  up  a  strong,  vigorous  cane,  whose 
appearance  and  fruit  will  give  a  fair  suggestion  of  its  value 
the  third  year.  Do  not  be  sure  of  a  prize,  even  though  the 
berries  are  superb  and  the  new  variety  starts  off  most  vigo- 
rously. Let  me  give  a  bit  of  experience.  In  a  fine  old 
garden,  located  in  the  centre  of  the  city  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y., 
my  attention  was  attracted  by  the  fruit  of  a  raspberry  bush 
whose  roots  were  so  interlaced  with  those  of  a  grape-vine 
that  they  could  not  be  separated.  It  scarcely  seemed  to 
have  a  fair  chance  to  live  at  all,  and  yet  it  was  loaded  with 
the  largest  and  most  delicious  red  raspberries  that  I  had 
then  ever  seen.  It  was  evidently  a  chance,  and  very  dis- 
tinct seedling.  I  obtained  from  Mr.  T.  H.  Roe,  the  propri- 
etor of  the  garden,  permission  to  propagate  the  variety,  and 
in  the  autumn  removed  a  number  of  the  canes  to  my  place 
at  Cornwall.  My  first  object  was  to  learn  whether  it  was 
hardy,  and  therefore  not  the  slightest  protection  was  given 
the  canes  at  Newburgh,  nor  even  to  those  removed  to  my 
own  place,  some  of  which  were  left  four  feet  high  for  the 
sake  of  this  test.  The  winter  that  followed  was  one  of  the 
severest  known ;  the  mercury  sank  to  30°  below  zero,  but 
not  a  plant  at  either  locality  was  injured ;  and  in  the  old 
garden  a  cane  fourteen  feet  long,  that  rested  on  the  grape- 
arbor,  was  alive  to  the  tip,  and  in  July  was  loaded  with  the 
most  beautiful  fruit  I  had  ever  seen.  It  was  uninjured  by 
the  test  of  another  winter,  and  all  who  saw  and  tasted  the 
fruit  were  enthusiastic  in  its  praise.  The  Massachusetts 


PRO  PA  GA  TION.  2O$ 

Horticultural  Society  awarded  it  their  first  premium,  and 
Mr.  Charles  Downing  said  it  was  the  finest  red  raspberry  he 
had  ever  seen.  The  veteran  horticulturist,  Mr.  Wm.  Parry, 
who  has  had  between  forty  and  fifty  years  of  experience  in 
small  fruits,  visited  my  place  that  summer.  The  bushes  he 
saw  had  never  received  any  protection,  and  had  already 
been  three  weeks  in  bearing,  but  they  were  still  full  of  fruit. 
After  picking  several  berries  that  measured  plump  three 
inches  in  circumference,  he  said,  quietly,  "Put  me  down 
for  500  plants."  In  no  other  way  could  he  have  stated  his 
favorable  opinion  more  emphatically.  It  was  as  delicious 
as  it  was  large  and  beautiful,  and  surely  I  was  reasonable  in 
expecting  for  it  a  brilliant  future.  In  my  faith  I  planted  it 
largely  myself,  expecting  to  make  it  my  main  dependence 
as  a  market  berry.  But  in  August  of  that  year  many  of 
the  canes  lost  their  foliage.  Those  that  thus  suffered  were 
not  entirely  hardy  the  following  winter.  It  was  eventually 
made  clear  that  it  belonged  to  the  tender  Rubus  Idceus  class, 
and,  therefore,  was  not  adapted  to  general  cultivation,  espe- 
cially on  light  soils,  and  under  sunny  skies.  As  I  have 
shown,  its  start  was  so  full  of  vigor  and  promise  that  it  won 
the  favor  and  confidence  of  the  horticultural  veterans ;  but 
it  suddenly  manifested  lack  of  stamina  and  sturdy  persist- 
ence in  well-doing.  And  this  is  just  the  trouble  which  every 
experienced  propagator  dreads.  Only  after  years  of  test 
and  trial  in  many  localities  can  he  be  assured  that  his  seed- 
ling may  become  a  standard  variety. 

If  this  chance  seedling,  the  Pride  of  the  Hudson,  is  given 
a  moist  soil  in  some  half- shady  location,  it  will  yield  fruit 
that  will  delight  the  amateur's  heart,  but,  like  Brinkle's 
Orange,  which  it  resembles  in  flavor,  only  amateurs  will 
give  it  the  petting  it  requires. 

As  suggested  when  treating  the  strawberry,  so  in  seeking 


2O6  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

to  originate  new  varieties  of  raspberries,  our  aim  should  be 
to  develop  our  hardy  native  species,  the  R.  Strigosus,  and 
if  we  employ  the  R.  Idceus  class  for  parentage  on  one  side, 
seek  its  most  vigorous  representatives,  such  as  the  Belle  de 
Fontenaye  and  Franconia. 


CHOICE  OF   LAND  — ITS   PREPARATION  —  PLANTING. 

All  that  has  been  said  about  the  thorough  preparation  of 
the  soil  for  strawberries,  by  drainage,  deep  plowing,  trench- 
ing, etc.,  applies  to  raspberries,  but  differences  should  be 
noted  in  respect  to  fertilizers.  Land  can  scarcely  be  made 
too  rich  for  any  variety  of  strawberries,  but  certain  strong- 
growing  raspberries,  like  the  Cuthbert,  Herstine,  and  Tur- 
ner, should  not  be  over- fertilized.  Some  kinds  demand 
good,  clean  culture,  rather  than  a  richness  that  would  cause 
too  great  a  growth  of  cane  and  foliage.  In  contrast,  the 
feebler  growing  kinds,  like  the  Brandywine,  and  most  of  the 
foreign  varieties,  require  abundance  of  manure.  Muck, 
sweetened  by  lime  and  frost  is  one  of  the  simplest  and  best ; 
but  anything  will  answer  that  is  not  too  full  of  heat  and 
ferment.  Like  the  strawberry,  the  raspberry  needs  cool 
manures  that  have  "  staying  "  qualities.  Unlike  the  former 
fruit,  however,  the  raspberry  does  well  in  partial  shade,  such 
as  that  furnished  by  the  northern  side  of  a  fence,  hedge, 
etc.,  by  a  pear  or  even  apple  orchard,  if  the  trees  still  per- 
mit wide  intervals  of  open  sky.  The  red  varieties,  espe- 
cially those  of  the  foreign  type,  much  prefer  moist,  heavy 
soils ;  but  the  black-caps  do  quite  as  well  on  light  ground, 
if  moisture  can  be  maintained.  The  latter,  also,  can  be 
grown  farther  south  than  any  other  species ;  but  below  the 
latitude  of  New  York,  those  containing  foreign  elements 
begin  to  fail  rapidly,  until,  at  last,  a  point  is  reached  where 


CHOICE  OF  LAND  — PREPARATION,  ETC.       2O? 

even  the  most  vigorous  native  red  varieties  refuse  to  live. 
If  the  climate,  however,  is  tempered  by  height  above  the 
sea,  as  in  the  mountains  of  Georgia,  they  will  thrive  abun- 
dantly. 

I  prefer  fall  planting  for  raspberries,  especially  in  southern 
latitudes,  for  these  reasons :  At  the  points  where  the  roots 


Spring  and  Fall   Plants. 

branch  (see  Fig.  A),  are  buds  which  make  the  future  stems 
or  canes.  In  the  fall,  these  are  dormant,  small,  and  not 
easily  broken  off,  as  in  Fig.  B ;  but  they  start  early  in  spring, 
and  if  planting  is  delayed,  these  become  so  long  and  brittle 
that  the  utmost  care  can  scarcely  save  them.  If  rubbed  off, 
the  development  of  good  bearing  canes  is  often  deferred  a 
year,  although  the  plants  may  live  and  fill  the  ground  with 
soots.  The  more  growth  a  raspberry  plant  has  made  when 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

set  out  in  spring,  the  greater  the  probability  that  it  will 
receive  a  check,  from  which  it  will  never  recover. 

I  have  often  planted  in  May  and  June,  successfully,  by 
taking  up  the  young  suckers  when  from  six  inches  to  a  foot 
high,  and  setting  them  where  they  are  to  grow.  Immediately 
on  taking  them  up,  I  cut  them  back  so  that  only  one  or  two 
inches  of  the  green  cane  is  left,  and  thus  the  roots  are  not 
taxed  to  sustain  wood  and  foliage  beyond  their  power.  This 
can  often  be  done  to  advantage,  when  the  plants  are  on 
one's  own  place,  and  in  moist,  cloudy  weather.  My  prefer- 
ence, however,  is  to  plant  the  latter  part  of  October  and 
through  November,  in  well-prepared  and  enriched  land. 
The  holes  are  made  quite  deep  and  large,  and  the  bottom 
filled  with  good  surface  soil.  If  possible,  before  planting, 
plow  and  cross-plow  deeply,  and  have  a  subsoiler  follow  in 


Winter  Protection  of  newly  set  Plants. 

each  furrow.  It  should  be  remembered  that  we  are  prepar- 
ing for  a  crop  which  may  occupy  the  land  for  ten  or  fifteen 
years,  and  plants  will  suffer  from  every  drought  if  set  imme- 
diately on  a  hard  subsoil.  On  heavy  land,  I  set  the  plants  one 
inch  deeper  than  they  were  before ;  on  light  soils  two  or  three 
inches  deeper.  I  cut  the  canes  off  six  inches  above  the 
surface  (see  Fig.  C),  for  leaving  long  canes  is  often  ruinous, 
and  a  plant  is  frequently  two  or  three  years  in  recovering 


CULTIVATION.  2CX) 

from  the  strain  of  trying  to  produce  fruit  the  first  year. 
The  whole  strength  of  the  roots  should  go  toward  producing 
bearing  canes  for  the  season  following;  and  to  stimulate 
such  growth,  I  throw  directly  on  the  hill  one  or  two  shovel- 
fuls of  finely  rotted  compost  and  then  mound  the  earth  over 
the  hill  until  the  cane  is  wholly  covered  (as  in  Fig.  D). 
This  prevents  all  injury  from  the  winter's  cold.  When 
severe  frosts  are  over,  the  mound  is  levelled  down  again. 
Under  this  system,  I  rarely  lose  plants,  and  usually  find  that 
double  growth  is  made  compared  with  those  set  late  in 
spring.  I  have  always  succeeded  well,  however,  in  earty 
spring  planting ;  and  well  to  the  north,  this  is,  perhaps,  the 
safer  season.  With  the  exception  of  mounding  the  earth 
over  the  hill,  plant  in  March  or  April  as  I  have  already 
directed. 

CULTIVATION. 

In  cultivation,  keep  the  ground  level ;  do  not  let  it  be- 
come banked  up  against  the  hills,  as  is  often  the  case,  espe- 
cially with  those  tender  varieties  that  are  covered  with  earth 
every  winter.  Keep  the  surface  clean  and  mellow  by  the 
use  of  the  cultivator  and  hoe.  With  the  exception  of  from 
four  to  six  canes  in  the  hill,  treat  all  suckers  as  weeds,  cutting 
them  down  while  they  are  little,  before  they  have  sucked 
half  the  life  out  of  the  bearing  hill.  Put  a  shovelful  or  two 
of  good  compost  —  any  fertilizer  is  better  than  none  — 
around  the  hills  or  along  the  rows,  late  in  the  fall,  and  work 
it  lightly  in  with  a  fork  if  there  is  time.  The  autumn  and 
winter  rains  will  carry  it  down  to  the  roots,  giving  almost 
double  vigor  and  fruitfulness  the  following  season.  If  the 
top-dressing  is  neglected  in  the  autumn,  be  sure  to  give  it  as 
early  in  the  spring  as  possible,  and  work  it  down  toward  the 
roots,  Bone-dust,  ashes,  poudrette,  barn-yard  manure,  and 

u 


2IO  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

muck  with  lime  can  be  used  alternate  years,  so  as  to  give 
variety  of  plant  food,  and  a  plantation  thus  sustained  can  be 
kept  twenty  years  or  more ;  but  under  the  usual  culture, 
vigor  begins  to  fail  after  the  eighth  or  tenth  season.  The 
first  tendency  of  most  varieties  of  newly  set  red  raspberries 
is  to  sucker  immoderately ;  but  this  gradually  declines,  even 
with  the  most  rampant,  and  under  good  culture  the  fruit- 
ing qualities  improve. 

In  dry  weather  the  fork  should  not  be  used  during  the 
growing  or  bearing  season.  The  turning  down  of  a  stratum 
of  dry,  hot  soil  next  to  the  roots  must  cause  a  sudden  check 
and  injury  from  which  only  a  soaking  rain  can  bring  full 
relief.  But  in  moist  weather,  and  periods  preceding  and 
following  the  blossoming  and  fruiting  season,  I  have  often 
used  the  fork  to  advantage,  especially  if  there  is  a  sod  of 
short,  succulent  weeds  to  be  turned  under  as  a  green  crop. 
If  the  ground  between  the  hills  waststirred  frequently  with 
an  iron  garden- rake,  the  weeds  would  not  have  a  chance  to 
start.  This  is  by  far  the  best  and  cheapest  way  of  maintain- 
ing our  part  in  the  unceasing  conflict  with  vegetable  evil. 
An  Irish  bull  hits  the  truth  exactly :  the  best  way  to  fight 
weeds  is  to  have  none  to  fight ;  and  raking  the  ground  over 
on  a  sunny  day,  about  once  a  week,  destroys  them  when 
they  are  as  yet  but  germinating  seeds.  At  the  same  time  it 
opens  the  pores  of  the  earth,  as  a  physiologist  might  express 
himself.  Unfailing  moisture  is  maintained,  air,  light,  and 
heat  are  introduced  to  the  roots  in  accordance  with  Na- 
ture's taste.,  and  the  whole  strength  of  the  mellow  soil  goes 
to  produce  only  that  which  is  useful.  But  this  teaching  is 
like  the  familiar  and  sound  advice,  "Form  no  bad  hab- 
its." We  do  form  them ;  the  weeds  do  get  the  start  of 
us ;  and  therefore,  as  a  practical  fact,  the  old  moral  and 
physical  struggle  must  go  on  until  the  end  of  time. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

RASPBERRIES PRUNING  STAKING MULCHING WINTER 

PROTECTION,    ETC. 

T  T  SUALLY,  there  is  no  pruning  either  hi  the  field  or  the 
^  garden  beyond  the  cutting  out  of  the  old  canes  and 
the  shortening  in  of  the  new  growth.  There  is  a  difference 
of  opinion  as  to  whether  the  old  canes  should  be  cut  out 
immediately  after  fruiting,  or  left  to  natural  decay,  and 
removed  the  following  fall  or  spring.  I  prefer  the  former 
course.  It  certainly  is  neater,  and  I  think  I  have  seen  in- 
creased growth  in  the  young  canes,  for  which  more  room  is 
made,  and  to  whose  support  the  roots  can  give  their  whole 
strength.  The  new  growth  can  make  foliage  fast  enough 
to  develop  the  roots ;  still,  I  have  not  experimented  care- 
fully, and  so  cannot  speak  accurately.  "  We  see  summer 
pruning  often  advocated  on  paper,  but  I  have  rarely  met  it 
in  practice.  If  carefully  done  at  the  proper  season,  how- 
ever, much  can  be  accomplished  by  it  in  the  way  of  making 
strong,  stocky  plants,  capable  of  standing  alone,  —  plants  full 
of  lateral  branches,  like  little  trees,  that  will  be  loaded  with 
fruit.  But  this  summer  pinching  back  must  be  commenced 
early,  while  the  new,  succulent  growth  is  under  full  headway, 
and  continued  through  the  busiest  season,  when  strawberries 
are  ripe  and  harvest  is  beginning.  It  should  not  be  done 
after  the  cane  has  practically  made  its  growth,  or  else  the 
buds  that  ought  to  remain  dormant  until  the  following  sea- 
son are  started  into  a  late  and  feeble  growth  that  does  not 


212  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

ripen  before  the  advent  of  early  frosts.  Few  have  time  for 
pruning  in  May  or  June.  If  they  have,  let  them  try  it  by 
all  means,  especially  on  the  black-cap  species.  It  does  not 
require  so  much  time  as  it  does  prompt  action  at  the  proper 
period  of  growth.  In  the  garden,  summer  pinching  can 
transform  a  raspberry  bush  into  an  ornamental  shrub  as 
beautiful  as  useful.  It  is  much  better  adapted  to  the  hardier 
vatieties  than  to  those  that  must  be  bent  down  and  covered 
with  earth.  With  the  R.  Occidentalis  species,  summer 
pinching  would  always  pay  well.  The  best  I  can  do,  usu- 
ally, with  the  red  varieties,  is  to  prune  in  November  and 
March ;  it  should  be  done  before  the  buds  develop.  Un- 
less early  fruit  is  wanted,  I  believe  in  cutting  back  heroically. 
Nature  once  gave  me  a  very  useful  hint.  One  very  cold 
winter,  a  row  of  Clarke  raspberries  was  left  unprotected. 
The  canes  were  four  or  five  feet  high,  but  were  killed  down 
to  the  snow-level,  or  within  eighteen  inches  of  the  ground ; 
but  from  what  was  left  uninjured,  we  had  as  many  and  far 
finer  berries  than  were  gathered  from  other  rows  where  the 
canes  had  been  left  their  full  length  and  protected  by  a 
covering  of  earth.  The  fruit  was  later,  however.  I  would 
remind  careful  observers  of  the  raspberry  how  often  buds 
on  canes  that  have  been  broken  off  or  cut  away  back  develop 
into  long  sprays,  enormously  fruitful  of  the  largest  berries.  I 
have  counted  fifty,  and  even  eighty,  berries  on  a  branch 
that  had  grown  from  a  single  bud  within  one  or  two  feet  of 
the  ground.  These  lower  buds  often  do  not  start  at  all 
when  the  canes  are  left  their  full,  or  nearly  their  full  length. 
In  the  latter  case  the  fruit  ripens  much  earlier  and  more 
together ;  and  since  an  early  crop,  though  inferior  in  quality 
and  quantity,  may  be  more  valuable  than  a  late  one,  the 
fruit  grower  often  objects  to  pruning.  But  in  the  garden, 
while  the  canes  of  some  early  kinds  are  left  their  full  length, 


PRUNING  — STAKING,  ETC.  2 13 

I  would  recommend  that  others,  especially  those  of  the  later 
varieties,  be  cut  back  one- half.  Even  for  market  purposes 
I  believe  that  the  superb  fruit  resulting  from  such  pruning 
would  bring  more  money  in  most  instances.  At  any  rate, 
the  season  of  bearing  would  be  greatly  prolonged. 

Mulching  on  a  large  scale  would  not  pay  in  most  locali- 
ties. In  regions  where  salt  hay,  flags,  etc.,  can  be  cut  in 
abundance,  or  where  straw  is  so  plenty  as  to  be  of  little  value, 
it  no  doubt  could  be  applied  profitably.  On  Staten  Island, 
I  have  seen  large  patches  mulched  with  salt  hay.  The 
canes  were  unstaked,  and  many  of  them  bent  over  on  the 
clean  hay  with  their  burden  of  fruit.  When  there  are  no 
stakes  or  other  support  used,  the  berries  certainly  should  be 
kept  from  contact  with  the  soil.  The  chief  advantage  of 
the  mulch,  however,  is  hi  the  preservation  of  moisture. 
When  it  is  given  freely,  all  the  fruit  perfects,  and  in  a  much 
longer  succession.  The  weeds  and  suckers  are  kept  down, 
and  the  patch  has  a  neat  appearance.  Moreover,  mulching 
prevents  the  foliage  from  burning,  and  enables  the  gardener 
to  grow  successfully  the  finer  varieties  farther  to  the  south 
and  on  light  soils.  In  keeping  down  the  weeds  through  the 
long  summer,  a  mulch  of  leaves,  straw,  or  any  coarse  litter", 
is  often  far  less  costly  than  would  be  the  labor  required. 

Staking  raspberries  is  undoubtedly  the  best,  simplest,  and 
cheapest  method  of  supporting  the  canes  of  most  varieties 
and  in  most  localities.  I  agree  with  the  view  taken  by  Mr. 
A.  S.  Fuller.  "  Chestnut  stakes,"  he  writes,  "  five  feet  long 
and  two  or  three  inches  in  diameter,  made  from  large  trees, 
cost  me  less  than  two  cents  each,  and  my  location  is  within 
twenty  miles  of  New  York  city,  where  timber  of  all  kinds 
commands  a  large  price.  I  cannot  afford  to  grow  rasp- 
berries without  staking,  because  every  stake  will  save  on  an 
average  ten  cents'  worth  of  fruit,  and,  in  many  instances, 


214 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 


three  times  that  amount."  Of  course,  split  chestnut  stakes 
look  the  neatest  and  last  the  longest ;  but  a  raspberry  bush 
is  not  fastidious,  and  I  utilize  old  bean-poles,  limbs  of  trees, 
—  anything  that  keeps  the  canes  from  sprawling  in  the  dirt 
with  their  delicate  fruit.  Thus,  in  many  instances,  the 
stakes  will  cost  little  more  than  a  boy's  labor  in  preparing 
them,  and  they  can  be  of  various  lengths,  according  to  the 
height  of  our  canes.  As  they  become  too  much  decayed 

for  further  use,  they 
make  a  cheery  blaze 
on  the  hearth  dur- 
ing the  early  au- 
tumn evenings. 
There  are  stocky 
growing  varieties, 
like  the  Cuthbert, 
Turner,  Herstine 
and  others,  that  by 
summer  pruning  or 
vigorous  cutting 
back  would  be  self- 
supporting,  if  not 
too  much  exposed 
to  high  winds.  The 

question  is  a  very  practical  one,  and  should  be  decided 
largely  by  experience  and  the  grower's  locality.  There  are 
fields  and  regions  in  which  gales,  and  especially  thunder- 
gusts,  would  prostrate  into  the  dirt  the  stoutest  bushes  that 
could  be  formed  by  summer  pruning,  breaking  down  canes 
heavy  with  green  and  ripe  fruit.  In  saving  a  penny  stake, 
a  bit  of  string,  and  the  moment  required  for  tying,  one 
might  be  made  to  feel,  after  a  July  storm,  that  he  had  been 
too  thrifty.  As  far  as  my  experience  and  observation  go, 


a.    Canes  snugly  tied.        b.    Canes  improperly  tied. 
Right  and  Wrong  Ways  of  Tying  Canes. 


STAKING— WINTER  PROTECTION,  ETC.         21 5 

I  would  either  stake  all  my  bushes  that  stood  separately 
and  singly,  or  else  would  grow  them  in  a  loose,  continuous, 
bushy  row,  and  keep  the  fruit  clean  by  some  kind  of  mulch. 
Splashed,  muddy  berries  are  not  fit  either  to  eat  or  to  sell. 

In  many  localities,  however,  stakes  are  dispensed  with. 
In  the  garden,  wires,  fastened  to  posts,  are  occasionally 
stretched  along  the  rows,  and  the  canes  tied  to  these.  The 
method  in  this  section,  however,  is  to  insert  stakes  firmly 
in  the  hill,  by  means  of  a  pointed  crowbar,  and  the  canes 
are  tied  to  them  as  early  in  spring  as  possible.  Unless 
watched,  the  boys  who  do  the  tying  persist  in  leaving  the 
upper  cords  of  the  canes  loose.  These  unsupported  ends, 
when  weighted  with  fruit  and  foliage,  break,  of  course.  The 
canes  should  be  snugly  tied  their  whole  length. 

If  bushes  made  stocky  by  summer  pruning  are  supported, 
let  the  stake  be  inserted  on  the  side  opposite  that  from 
which  heavy  winds  are  expected. 

WINTER  PROTECTION— TAKING  UP  PLANTS  FOR 
SPRING  USE— STORING  THEM. 

Nearly  all  foreign  varieties  and  their  seedlings  need  win- 
ter protection,  or  are  the  better  for  it,  north  of  the  latitude 
of  New  York  city.  Many  of  the  hardier  kinds,  like  the 
Herstine  and  Clarke,  will  usually  survive  if  bent  over  and 
kept  close  to  the  earth  by  the  weight  of  poles  or  a  shovelful 
or  two  of  soil;  but  all  of  the  Antwerp  class  need  to  be 
entirely  covered. 

To  many,  this  winter  covering  is  a  great  bugbear,  even 
when  only  a  small  patch  in  the  garden  is  involved.  There 
is  a  constant  demand  for  "  perfectly  hardy  "  varieties.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  many  of  the  best  kinds  are  not 
hardy  at  all,  and  that  perhaps  none  are  "  perfectly  hardy." 


2l6 


SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 


The  Turner  has  never  been  injured  on  my  place,  and  the 
Cuthbert  is  rarely  hurt ;  but  occasionally  they  are  partially 
killed,  more  by  alterations  of  freezing  and  thawing  than  by 
steady  cold.  What  are  termed  "  open  winters  "  are  often 
the  most  destructive.  I  find  that 
^  it  pays  to  cover  all  those  kinds  that 

are  liable  to  injury,  and,  as  the  va- 
rieties are  described,  this  need  will 
be  distinctly  stated.  The  difficul- 
ties of  covering  are  chiefly  imag- 
inary, and  it  can  be  done  by  the 
acre  at  comparatively  slight  cost. 
The  vast  crops  of  the  Hudson 


1 


Pruning  and   Laying  Down  Canes. 

River  Antwerp  were  raised  from  fields  covered  every  falL 
In  the  garden,  I  do  not  consider  the  labor  worth  naming 
in  comparison  with  the  advantages  secured.  Those  who 
find  time  to  carefully  cover  their  cabbages  and  gather 
turnips  should  not  talk  of  the  trouble  of  protecting  a  row  of 
delicious  Herstine  raspberries.  Still,  Nature  is  very  indul- 
gent to  the  lazy,  and  has  given  us  as  fine  a  raspberry  as  the 
Cuthbert,  which  thus  far,  with  but  few  exceptions,  has  en- 
dured our  Northern  winters.  In  November,  I  have  the 


WINTER  PROTECTION,  ETC. 

labor  of  covering  performed  in  the  following  simple  way : 
B  is  a  hill  with  canes  untrimmed.  C,  the  canes  have  been 
shortened  one  third,  —  my  rule  in  pruning.  After  trimming, 
the  canes  are  ready  to  be  laid  down,  and  they  should  all  be 
bent  one  way.  To  turn  them  sharply  over  and  cover  them 
with  earth  would  cause  many  of  the  stronger  ones  to  break 
just  above  the  root ;  so  I  have  a  shovelful  of  soil  thrown  on 
one  side  of  the  hill,  as  in  Fig.  C,  and  the  canes  bent  over 
this  little  mound.  They  thus  describe  a  curve,  instead  of 
lying  at  right  angles  on  the  surface,  with  a  weight  of  earth 
upon  them.  A  boy  holds  the  cane  down,  while  a  man  on 
either  side  of  the  row  rapidly  shovels  the  earth  upon  them. 
If  the  work  is  to  be  done  on  a  large  scale,  'one  or  two  shovel- 
fuls will  pin  the  canes  to  the  earth,  and  then,  by  throwing  a 
furrow  over  them  on  both  sides  with  a  plow,  the  labor  is 
soon  accomplished.  It  will  be  necessary  to  follow  the  plow 
with  a  shovel,  and  increase  the  covering  here  and  there. 
In  spring,  as  soon  as  hard  frosts  are  over,  —  the  first  week  in 
April,  in  our  latitude,  usually,  —  begin  at  the  end  of  the 
row  toward  which  the  canes  were  bent,  and  with  a  fork 
throw  and  push  the  earth  aside  and  gently  lift  the  canes  out 
of  the  soil,  taking  pains  to  level  the  ground  thoroughly,  and 
not  leave  it  heaped  up  against'  the  hills.  This  should  not 
be  done  when  the  earth  is  wet  and  sticky.  Keep  off  the 
ground  at  such  times,  unless  the  season  is  growing  so  late 
that  there  is  danger  of  the  canes  decaying  if  not  exposed  to 
the  air.  The  sooner  they  are  staked  and  tied  up  after  un- 
covering, the  better. 

For  market  or  other  purposes,  we  may  wish  a  number  of 
young  plants,  in  which  case  there  is  much  room  for  good 
sense  in  taking  them  up.  Many  lay  hold  upon  the  canes 
and  pull  so  hastily  that  little  save  sticks  comes  out.  A  gar- 
dener wants  fibrous  roots  rather  than  top ;  therefore,  send 


218  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

the  spade  down  under  the  roots  and  pry  them  out.  Suckers 
and  root-cutting  plants  can  be  dug  in  October,  after  the 
wood  has  fairly  ripened,  but  be  careful  to  leave  no  foliage 
on  the  canes  that  are  taken  up  before  the  leaves  fall,  for 
they  rapidly  drain  the  vitality  of  the  plants.  It  is  best  to 
cut  the  canes  down  to  within  a  foot  of  the  surface  before 
digging.  I  prefer  taking  up  all  plants  for  sale  or  use  in  the 
latter  part  of  October  and  November,  and  those  not  set  out 
or  disposed  of  are  stored  closely  in  trenches,  with  the  roots 
a  foot  or  more  below  the  surface.  By  thus  burying  them 
deeply  and  by  leaving  on  them  a  heavy  covering  of  leaves, 
they  are  kept  in  a  dormant  state  quite  late  in  spring,  and  so 
can  be  handled  without  breaking  off  the  buds  which  make 
the  future  canes.  But,  as  we  have  already  said,  the  earlier 
they  are  planted  after  the  frost  is  out,  the  better. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

RASPBERRIES VARIETIES   OF  THE   FOREIGN  AND  NATIVE 

SPECIES. 

*"PHIS  chapter  will  treat  first  of  the  imported  kinds,  which 
usually  are  more  or  less  tender,  and  then,  by  way  of 
contrast,  of  the  hardy  varieties  of  our  native  R.  Strigosus. 

I  shall  speak  of  those  only  that  are  now  in  general  culti- 
vation, naming  a  few,  also,  whose  popularity  in  the  past  has 
been  so  great  as  to  entitle  them  to  mention. 

As  was  true  of  strawberries,  so  also  varieties  of  raspber* 
ries  that  won  name  and  fame  abroad  were  imported,  and 
a  few  of  them  have  adapted  themselves  so  well  to  American 
soil  and  climate  as  to  have  become  standards  of  excellence. 
Among  the  best-known  of  these  formerly  was  the  Red  Ant- 
werp of  England.  Few  old-fashioned  gardens  were  with- 
out it  at  one  time,  but  it  is  fast  giving  way  to  newer  and 
more  popular  varieties.  The  canes  are  vigorous,  stocky,  and 
tall ;  spines  light-red,  numerous,  and  rather  strong.  Winter 
protection  is  always  needed.  The  berries  are  large  and  very 
obtuse,  conical,  dark-red,  large-grained,  and  covered  with  a 
thick  bloom,  very  juicy,  and  exceedingly  soft,  —  too  much  so 
for  market  purposes.  They  made  a  dainty  dish  for  home 
use,  however,  and  our  grandmothers,  when  maidens,  gath- 
ered them  in  the  lengthening  summer  shadows. 

The  Hudson  River  Antwerp,  the  most  celebrated  foreign 
ferry  in  America,  is  quite  distinct  from  the  above,  although 


«2O  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

belonging  to  the  same  family.  It  is  shorter  and  more  slen- 
der in  its  growth,  quite  free  from  spines,  and  its  canes  are 
of  a  peculiar  mouse-color.  Its  fruit  is  even  larger,  but  firm, 
decidedly  conical,  not  very  bright  when  fully  ripe,  and  rather 
dry,  but  sweet  and  agreeable  in  flavor.  Mr.  Downing  says 
that  its  origin  is  unknown,  and  that  it  was  brought  to  this 
country  by  the  late  Mr.  Briggs,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
"  As  this  gentleman  was  leaving  England  "  (thus  the  story 
is  told,  Mr.  Downing  writes  to  me) ,  "  he  visited  a  friend  to 
say  good-by,  and  solicited  this  new  raspberry.  Since  he 
was  leaving  the  country,  and  could  cause  no  injury  to  the 
sale  of  plants,  his  friend  gave  him  a  few  in  parting,  although 
three  guineas  had  been  refused  for  a  single  plant  hitherto, 
in  the  careful  effort  to  secure  a  large  stock  before  putting 
the  variety  on  the  market."  Its  name  suggests  Belgium  as 
its  original  home. 

This  Antwerp  continues  long  in  bearing,  and  the  berries 
begin  to  ripen  early.  The  good  carrying  qualities  of  the 
fruit,  combined  with  great  productiveness,  made  it  at  one 
time  the  most  profitable  market  berry  in  this  section ;  but 
its  culture  was  chiefly  confined  to  a  narrow  strip  on  the  west 
shore  of  the  Hudson,  extending  from  Cornwall  to  Kingston. 
For  some  obscure  reasons,  it  did  not  thrive  in  other  local- 
ities, and  now  it  appears  to  be  failing  fast  in  its  favorite 
haunt.  A  disease  called  the  "curl-leaf"  is  destroying  some 
of  the  oldest  and  largest  plantations,  and  the  growers  are 
looking  about  for  hardier  and  more  vigorous  varieties.  But 
in  its  palmy  days,  and  even  still,  the  Hudson  River  Antwerp 
was  one  of  the  great  productions  of  the  country,  sending 
barges  and  steamers  nightly  to  New  York  laden  with  ruby 
cones,  whose  aroma  was  often  very  distinct  on  the  windward 
shore  while  the  boats  were  passing.  This  enormous  business 
had  in  part  a  chance  and  curious  origin,  and  a  very  small  be- 


FOREIGN  AND  NATIVE  SPECIES.  221 

ginning ;  while  the  celebrated  variety  itself,  which  eventually 
covered  so  many  hundreds  of  acres  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Hudson,  may  be  traced  back  through  two  lines  of  ancestry. 
An  English  gardener,  who  probably  obtained  the  plants  from 
Mr.  Briggs,  gave  some  of  them  to  a  Mr.  Samuel  Barnes,  who 
resided  in  Westchester  County.  From  him,  Mr.  Thos.  H. 
Burling,  of  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y.,  secured  an  abundant  sup- 
ply for  his  home  garden.  Here  its  value  was  observed  by 
Mr.  Nathaniel  Hallock,  who  transferred  some  of  the  canes 
to  his  place  at  Milton,  N.  Y.  From  his  garden  they  spread 
over  many  fields  besides  his  own. 

In  respect  to  the  other  line  of  ancestry  of  this  historical 
berry,  I  am  indebted  for  the  following  facts  to  Mr.  W.  C. 
Young,  of  Marlboro',  N.  Y. :  Many  years  ago  a  bundle  of 
raspberry  plants  was  left  at  a  meat-market  in  Poughkeepsie, 
and  Mr.  Walters,  the  proprietor  of  the  place,  kept  them  sev- 
eral days,  expecting  that  they  would  be  called  for.  As  they 
remained  upon  his  hands,  he  planted  them  in  his  garden, 
where,  like  genuine  worth,  they  soon  asserted  their  superi- 
ority. Mr.  Edward  Young,  of  Marlboro',  a  relative  of  Mr. 
Walters,  received  a  present  of  a  few  roots,  which  supplied 
his  family  with  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  berries  he  had 
ever  seen.  Good  propagates  itself  as  well  as  evil  if  given  a 
chance,  and  Mr.  Young  soon  had  far  more  fruit  than  was 
needed  by  his  family,  and  he  resolved  to  try  the  fortunes  of 
his  favorite  in  New  York  market.  "  For  this  purpose,"  his 
son  writes,  "  my  father  procured  imported  fancy  willow  bas- 
kets, holding  about  one  pint  each,  and  carefully  packed  these 
in  crates  made  for  the  purpose.  This  mode  proved  a  suc- 
cess, both  in  carrying  them  securely  and  in  making  them 
very  attractive.  The  putting  up  such  a  fine  variety  of  fruit 
in  this  way  gave  it  notoriety  at  once,  and  it  brought  at  first 
as  much  as  one  dollar  per  quart.  My  father  was  so  well 
J— ROE— XVII 


222  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

satisfied  with  his  experiment  that  he  advised  his  sons,  Alex- 
ander, Edward  and  myself,  to  extend  the  culture  of  this  va- 
riety largely.  We  entered  into  the  business,  and,  pursuing 
it  with  diligence,  were  well  compensated.  Our  success  made 
others  desirous  of  engaging  in  it,  and  so  it  spread  out  into 
its  large  dimensions."  Mr.  Alexander  Young  estimates 
that  in  the  year  1858  1,000,000  pint  baskets,  or  about 
14,700  bushels,  were  shipped  from  Marlboro';  but  adds 
that  "since  1860  it  has  decreased  as  fast.  From  present 
appearances,  the  variety  must  become  extinct,  and  I  fear 
will  never  have  its  equal."  Milton,  Cornwall,  Newburgh, 
and  other  points  competed  in  the  profitable  industry,  and 
now,  with  Marlboro',  are  replacing  the  failing  variety  with 
other  kinds  more  vigorous  in  growth,  but  thus  far  inferior 
in  quality. 

That  the  great  industry  is  not  falling  off  is  shown  by  the 
following  statement,  taken  from  the  New  York  "  Tribune  " 
in  the  summer  of  1879  :  "The  village  of  Highland,  oppo- 
site Poughkeepsie,  runs  a  berry  boat  daily  to  New  York, 
and  the  large  night  steamers  are  now  taking  out  immense 
loads  of  raspberries  from  the  river  towns  every  evening, 
having  at  times  nearly  2,000  bushels  on  board." 

From  as  careful  a  computation  as  I  have  been  able  to 
make,  through  the  courtesy  of  the  officers  of  the  large 
Kingston  boats,  the  "  Baldwin  "  and  "  Cornell,"  I  am  led  to 
believe  that  these  two  steamers  unitedly  carried  to  the  city 
over  twenty  thousand  bushels  of  berries  that  same  year. 
The  magnitude  of  this  industry  on  the  Hudson  will  be 
still  better  realized  when  it  is  remembered  that  several 
other  freight  boats  divide  this  traffic  with  the  Kingston 
steamers. 

When  we  consider  what  a  delicate  and  perishable  fruit 
this  is,  it  can  be  understood  that  gathering  and  packing  it 


FOREIGN  AND  NATIVE  SPECIES.  22 3 

properly  is  no  bagatelle.  Sometimes  you  will  find  the  fruit 
grower's  family  in  the  field,  from  the  matron  down  to  the 
little  ones  that  cannot  reach  the  highest  berries.  But  the 
home  force  is  wholly  insufficient,  and  any  one  who  will  pick — 
man,  woman  or  child  —  is  employed.  Therefore,  drifting 
through  the  river  towns  during  June  and  July,  are  found 
specimens  almost  as  picturesque,  if  not  so  highly  colored,  as 
those  we  saw  at  Norfolk,  —  poor  whites  from  the  back 
country  and  mountains ;  people  from  the  cities  on  a  humble 
"  lark,"  who  cannot  afford  to  rusticate  at  a  hotel ;  semi- 
tramps,  who  have  not  attained  to  the  final  stage  of  aristo- 
cratic idleness,  wherein  the  offer  of  work  is  an  insult  which 
they  resent  by  burning  a  barn.  Rude  shanties,  with  bunks 
are  fitted  up  to  give  all  the  shelter  they  require.  Here  they 
lead  a  gypsy  Hfe,  quite  as  much  to  their  taste  as  camping  in 
the  Adirondacks,  cooking  and  smoking  through  the  June 
twilight,  and  as  oblivious  of  the  exquisite  scenery  about  them 
as  the  onion-eating  peasants  of  Italy ;  but  when  picking  the 
fruit  on  a  sunny  slope,  and  half-hidden  by  the  raspberry 
bushes,  Nature  blends  them  with  the  scene  so  deftly  that  even 
they  become  picturesque. 

The  little  round  "  thirds,"  as  they  are  termed,  into  which 
the  berries  are  gathered,  are  carried  out  of  the  sunlight  to 
sheds  and  barns ;  the  packer  receives  them,  giving  tickets 
in  exchange,  and  then,  too  often  with  the  deliberation  and 
ease  induced  by  the  summer  heat,  packs  them  in  crates. 
As  a  result,  there  is  frequently  a  hurry-scurry  later  in  the 
day  to  get  the  berries  off  in  time. 

The  Fastollf,  Northumberland  Fillbasket,  and  Knevett's 
Giant  are  fine  old  English  varieties  that  are  found  in  pri- 
vate gardens,  but  have  never  made  their  way  into  general 
favor. 

The  Franconia  is  now  the  best  foreign  variety  we  have. 


224       SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

It  was  introduced  from  Paris  by  Mr.  S.  G.  Perkins,  of 
Boston,  about  thirty-seven  years  ago,  and  is  a  large,  obtuse, 
conical  berry,  firm,  thus  carrying  well  to  market,  and  al- 
though a  little  sour,  its  acid  is  of  a  rich,  sprightly  character. 
It  is  raised  largely  in  Western  New  York,  and  in  northern 
latitudes  is  one  of  the  most  profitable. 

It  is  almost  hardy  in  the  vicinity  of  Rochester,  receiving 
by  some  growers  no  winter  protection.  Its  lack  of  hardiness 
with  us,  and  farther  southward,  is  due  to  its  tendency  — 
common  to  nearly  all  foreign  berries  —  to  lose  its  foliage  in 
August.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  it  would  prove  one  of 
the  most  profitable  in  Canada,  and  that  if  it  were  simply 
pinned  down  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  thus  kept 
under  the  deep  snows,  it  would  rarely  suffer  from  the  cold.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  the  climate  of  Canada, 
if  winter  protection  is  given,  —  indeed,  I  may  say,  without 
protection,  —  is  far  better  adapted  to  tender  raspberries 
than  that  of  New  Jersey,  Virginia,  or  even  Pennsylvania. 

The  long  continuance  of  the  Franconia  in  bearing  is  one 
of  its  best  qualities.  We  usually  enjoy  its  fruit  for  six  weeks 
together.  Its  almost  globular  shape  is  in  contrast  with  an- 
other excellent  French  variety,  the  Belle  de  Fontenay,  a 
large,  long,  conical,  but  somewhat  irregular- shaped  berry  of 
very  superior  flavor.  Mr.  Fuller  says  that  it  is  entirely 
hardy.  It  survives  the  winter  without  protection  on  my 
grounds.  The  canes  are  very  stocky  and  strong,  and  unless 
growing  thickly  together  are  branching.  Its  most  marked 
characteristic,  however,  is  a  second  crop  in  autumn,  pro- 
duced on  the  tips  of  the  new  canes.  If  the  canes  of  the 
previous  year  are  cut  even  with  the  ground  early  in  spring, 
the  new  growth  gives  a  very  abundant  autumn  crop  of  ber- 
ries, which,  although  much  inclined  to  crumble  in  picking, 
and  to  be  irregular  in  shape,  have  still  the  rare  flavor  of  a 


FOREIGN1  AND  NATIVE  SPECIES.  22$ 

delicious  fruit  long  out  of  season.  It  certainly  is  the  best  ot 
the  fall-bearing  kinds,  and  deserves  a  place  in  every  garden. 
There  are  more  profitable  market  varieties,  however ;  but,  if 
the  suckers  are  vigorously  deotroyed,  and  the  bearing  canes 
cut  well  back,  the  fruit  is  often  very  large,  abundant,  and 
attractive,  bringing  the  highest  prices.  As  a  plantation 
grows  older,  the  tendency  to  sucker  immoderately  decreases, 
and  the  fruit  improves. 

The  Belle  de  Pallua  and  Hornet  are  also  French  varie- 
ties that  in  some  sections  yield  fine  fruit,  but  are  too  uncer- 
tain to  become  favorites  in  o*ir  country. 

I  have  a  few  canes  of  a  French  variety  that  Mr.  Downing 
imported  a  number  of  years  since,  and  of  which  the  name 
has  been  lost.  It  certainly  is  the  finest  raspberry  I  have 
ever  seen,  and  I  am  testing  its  adaptation  to  various  soils. 

Having  named  the  best-known  foreign  varieties,  I  will 
now  turn  to  R.  Strigosus,  or  our  native  species,  which  is 
scattered  almost  everywhere  throughout  the  North.  In  its 
favorite  haunts  by  road-side  hedge  and  open  glade  in  the 
forest,  a  bush  is  occasionally  found  producing  such  fine  fruit 
that  the  delighted  discoverer  marks  it,  and  in  the  autumn 
transfers  it  to  his  garden.  As  a  result,  a  new  variety  is  often 
heralded  throughout  the  land.  A  few  of  these  wildings  have 
become  widely  popular,  and  among  them  the  Brandywine 
probably  has  had  the  most  noted  career. 

Mr.  William  Parry,  of  New  Jersey,  who  has  been  largely 
interested  in  this  variety,  writes  to  me  as  follows  :  — 

"  I  have  never  been  able  to  trace  the  origin  of  this  berry.  It 
attracted  attention  some  eight  or  ten  years  since  in  the  Wilming- 
ton market,  and  was  for  a  time  called  the  '  Wilmington.'" 

Subsequently  Mr.  Edward  Tatnall,  of  that  city,  under- 
took to  introduce  it  by  the  name  of  Susqueco,  the  Indian 

»5 


'  226  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

name  for  the  Brandywine.  It  soon  became  the  principal 
raspberry  grown  along  the  Brandywine  Creek,  and  as  the 
market- men  would  persist  in  calling  it  after  its  chief  haunt, 
it  will  probably  bear  the  historical  name  until  it  passes 
wholly  out  of  favor.  Its  popularity  is  already  on  the  wane, 
because  of  its  dry  texture  and  insipid  flavor,  but  its  bright 
color,  good  size,  and  especially  its  firmness  and  remarkable 
carrying  qualities,  will  ever  lead  to  its  ready  sale  in  the  mar- 
ket. It  is  not  a  tall,  vigorous  grower,  except  in  very  rich 
land.  The  young  canes  are  usually  small,  slender,  of  a  pale 
red  color,  and  have  but  few  spines.  Like  nearly  all  the 
R.  Strigosus  species,  it  tends  to  sucker  immoderately.  If 
this  disposition  is  rigorously  checked  by  hoe  and  cultivator, 
it  is  productive ;  otherwise,  the  bearing  canes  are  choked 
and  rendered  comparatively  unfruitful.  This  variety  is  wan- 
ing before  the  Cuthbert, — a  larger  and  much  better  berry. 

The  Turner  is  another  of  this  class,  and,  in  Mr.  Charles 
Downing's  opinion,  is  the  best  of  them.  It  was  introduced 
by  Professor  J.  B.  Turner,  of  Illinois,  and  is  a  great  favorite 
in  many  parts  of  the  West.  It  has  behaved  well  on  my 
place  for  several  years,  and  I  am  steadily  increasing  my 
stock  of  it.  I  regard  it  as  the  hardiest  raspberry  in  culti- 
vation, and  a  winter  must  be  gerere,  indeed,  that  injures  it. 
Like  the  Crescent  Seedling  strawberry,  it  will  grow  anywhere, 
and  under  almost  any  conditions.  The  laziest  man  on  the 
continent  can  have  its  fruit  in  abundance,  if  he  can  muster 
sufficient  spirit  to  put  out  a  few  roots,  and  hoe  out  all  the 
suckers  except  five  or  six  in  the  hill.  It  is  early,  and  in 
flavor  surpasses  all  of  its  class ;  the  fruit  is  only  moderately 
firm.  Plant  a  few  in  some  out-of-the-way  place,  and  it  will 
give  the  largest  return  for  the  least  amount  of  labor  of  any 
kind  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  The  canes  are  very  vig- 
orous, of  a  golden  reddish- brown,  like  mahogany,  over  which 


FOREIGN  AND  NATIVE  SPECIES.  22j 

spreads  in  many  places  a  purple  bloom,  like  that  on  a  grape, 
and  which  rubs  off  at  the  touch.  It  is  almost  free  from  spines, 
and  so  closely  resembles  the  Southern  Thornless  in  all  re- 
spects that  I  cannot  distinguish  between  them. 

The  Turner  is  a  fine  example  of  the  result  of  persistent 
well-doing.  After  having  been  treated  slightingly  and  writ- 
ten down  at  the  East  for  ten  years  or  more,  it  is  now  stead- 
ily winning  its  way  toward  the  front  rank.  Mr.  A.  S.  Fuller, 
who  has  tried  most  of  the  older  varieties,  says  that  he  keeps 
a  patch  of  it  for  his  own  use,  because  it  gives  so  much  good 
fruit  with  so  little  trouble. 

I  shall  give  its  origin  in  Professor  Turner's  own  words,  as 
far  as  possible  :  — 

"  Soon  after  I  came  to  Illinois,  in  1833,  I  obtained,  through  a 
friend  from  the  East,  some  raspberries  sold  to  me  as  the  '  Red 
Antwerp.'  I  do  not  know  or  believe  that  there  was  at  that  time 
any  other  red  raspberry  within  one  hundred  miles  of  this  place. 
Indeed,  I  have  never  seen  a  native  wild  red  raspberry  in  the 
State,  though  it  may  be  there  are  some.  I  found  the  Antwerp 
would  not  stand  our  climate,  but  by  extreme  care  I  protected  it 
one  winter,  and  it  bore  some  fruit.  I  conceived  the  idea  of 
amusing  my  leisure  hours  from  college  duty  by  raising  new 
seedling  raspberries,  strawberries,  etc.,  that  would  be  adapted 
to  the  climate  of  the  State.  I  had  only  a  small  garden  spot,  no 
particular  knowledge  of  the  business,  and  no  interest  in  it  out- 
side of  the  public  good.  I  read  upon  the  subject,  as  far  as  I 
then  could,  and  planted  and  nursed  my  seedlings.  Out  of  hun- 
dreds or  thousands  sown,  I  got  one  good  early  strawberry,  which 
had  a  local  run  for  a  time ;  one  fair  blackberry,  but  no  grapes  or 
raspberries  that  seemed  worth  anything.  The  seeds  of  the  rasp- 
berries were  sown  in  a  bed  back  of  my  house,  and  the  shoots 
reserved  were  all  nurtured  on  the  same  bed.  After  I  supposed 
them  to  be  a  failure,  I  set  out  an  arbor  vitae  hedge  directly 
across  the  raspberry  bed,  making  some  effort  to  destroy  the 
canes  so  that  the  little  cedars  might  grow.  Sometimes,  when 


228  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

they  were  in  the  way  of  the  cedars  they  were  hoed  out.  If 
any  of  them  bore  berries,  the  fowls  doubtless  destroyed  them, 
or  the  children  ate  them  before  they  ripened,  until  the  cedars 
got  so  high  as  to  give  them  protection.  Then  the  children 
found  the  ripe  fruit,  and  reported  it  to  me.  I  have  not  the  least 
doubt  but  this  raspberry  came  from  a  seed  of  the  plants  obtained 
from  the  East  as  the  Red  Antwerp.  The  original  canes  may 
have  been  false  to  name,  or  a  mixture  of  the  true  and  false. 
Whatever  they  were,  they  bore  good,  red  berries,  which  I  sup- 
posed to  be  Antwerps  ;  but  the  canes  were  so  tender  as  to  be 
worthless.  It  is  wholly  impossible  that  the  new  variety  should 
have  come  from  any  other  seed  than  that  sown  by  me  where  the 
vitas  hedge  now  stands." 

This  letter  is  very  interesting  in  showing  how  curiously 
some  of  our  best  varieties  originate.  Moreover,  it  suggests 
a  dilemma.  How  is  it  possible  that  an  Antwerp  —  one  of 
the  most  tender  varieties  —  could  have  been  the  parent  of 
the  hardiest  known  raspberry?  How  could  a  sort  having 
every  characteristic  of  our  native  R.  Strigosus  spring  direct 
from  R .  Idaus  ? 

I  have  been  familiar  with  the  Antwerps  all  my  life,  and 
can  see  no  trace  of  them  in  this  hardy  berry.  Mr.  A.  S. 
Fuller  writes  to  me,  "The  Turner  is  a  true  native  —  R. 
Strigosus  ;  "  and  Mr.  Charles  Downing  holds  the  same  opin- 
ion. Hence  I  am  led  to  believe  that  there  was  a  native 
variety  among  the  plants  the  professor  obtained  from  the 
East,  or  that  a  seed  of  a  native  was  dropped  among  the 
cedars  by  a  bird,  or  brought  thither  in  the  roots  of  the  ce- 
dars. Be  this  as  it  may,  Professor  Turner's  good  motives 
have  been  rewarded  and  he  has  given  the  public  an  excellent 
raspberry. 

In  connection  with  this  subject,  Mr.  Fuller  added  the 
following  fact,  which  opens  to  the  amateur  a  very  interest- 
ing field  for  experiment :  "  If  there  is  any  doubt  in  regard 


FOREIGN  AND  NATIVE  SPECIES.  22$ 

to  such  matters,  raise  a  few  seedlings  of  the  variety,  and  if  it 
is  a  cross  or  hybrid,  a  part  of  the  seedlings  will  revert  back 
to  each  parent,  or  so  near  them  that  there  will  be  no  diffi- 
culty in  determining  that  there  was  a  mixture  of  blood.  If 
all  our  so-called  hybrid  fruits  were  thus  tested,  we  would 
then  know  more  of  their  true  parentage."  In  the  sunny 
laboratory  of  the  garden,  therefore,  Nature's  chemistry  will 
resolve  these  juicy  compounds  back  into  their  original 
constituents. 

The  Highland  Hardy,  or  Native,  also  belongs  to  this 
species,  and  is  quite  a  favorite  still  in  some  localities ;  but 
it  has  had  its  day,  I  think.  Its  extreme  earliness  has  made 
it  profitable  in  some  regions ;  but  its  softness,  small  size 
and  wretched  flavor  should  banish  it  from  cultivation  as 
soon  as  possible. 

There  are  others,  like  the  Thwack,  Pearl,  and  Bristol; 
they  are  but  second-rate,  being  inferior  in  most  regions  to 
the  Brandywine,  which  they  resemble. 

In  my  opinion,  the  chief  value  of  R.  Strigosus  is  to  be 
found  in  two  facts.  In  the  first  place,  they  endure  the 
severe  Northern  winters,  and  —  what  is  of  far  more  conse- 
quence —  their  best  representatives  thrive  on  light  soils, 
and  their  tough  foliage  does  not  burn  under  the  hot  sun. 
It  thus  becomes  the  one  species  of  red  raspberry  that  can 
be  raised  successfully  in  the  South,  and  from  it,  as  a  hardy 
stock,  we  should  seek  to  develop  the  raspberries  of  the 
future. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

RDBUS  OCCIDENTALIS  —  BLACK-CAP  AND  PURPLE  CANE 
RASPBERRIES. 

now  turn  to  the  other  great  American  species  — 
Rubus  Occidentalis  —  the  well-known  black-cap,  or 
thimble  berry,  that  is  found  along  almost  every  roadside 
and  fence  in  the  land/  There  are  few  little  people  who 
have  not  stained  their  lips  and  fingers,  not  to  mention  their 
clothes,  with  this  homely  favorite.  I  can  recall  the  days 
when,  to  the  horror  of  the  laundress,  I  filled  my  pockets 
with  the  juicy  caps.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  recall  its 
long,  rambling,  purple  shoots,  its  light-green  foliage,  silvery 
on  the  under  side,  its  sharp  and  abundant  spines,  from  which 
we  have  received  many  a  vicious  scratch.  Its  cultivation 
is  so  simple  that  it  may  be  suggested  in  a  few  sentences.  It 
does  not  produce  suckers,  like  R.  Strigosus,  but  the  tips  of 
the  drooping  branches  root  themselves  in  the  soil  during 
August  and  September,  forming  young  plants.  These, 
planted,  produce  a  vigorous  bush  the  first  year  that  bears 
the  second  season,  and  then  dies  down  to  the  perennial 
root,  as  is  the  case  with  all  raspberries.  Usually,  the  tips 
of  the  young  canes  will  take  root,  if  left  to  themselves,  unless 
whipped  about  by  the  wind.  If  new  plants  in  abundance 
are  desired,  it  is  best  to  assist  Nature,  however,  by  placing 
a  little  earth  on  the  tip  just  after  it  begins  to  enlarge  slightly, 
thus  showing  it  is  ready  to  take  root.  This  labor  is  quickly 
performed  by  throwing  a  handful  or  two  of  earth  on  the 


RUB  US  OCCTDEN-TALIS.  231 

tips  with  a  trowel.  The  tips  do  not  all  mature  for  propaga- 
tion at  one  time ;  therefore,  it  is  well  to  go  over  the  plan- 
tation every  two  weeks  after  the  middle  of  August,  and 
cover  lightly  with  earth  only  such  as  are  enlarged.  If  cov- 
ered before  this  sign  of  readiness  appears,  the  tip  merely 
decays.  If  a  variety  is  very  scarce,  we  may  cover  not  only 
the  tips,  but  also  much  of  the  cane,  lightly  —  an  inch  or  two 
—  with  earth,  and  each  bud  will  eventually  make  a  plant. 
This  should  not  be  done,  however,  until  the  wood  is  well 
ripened,  say  about  the  first  of  October.  Throw  a  few  leaves 
over  such  layered  canes  in  November,  and  divide  the  buds 
and  roots  into  separate  plants  early  in  spring.  They  will 
probably  be  so  small  as  to  need  a  year  in  the  nursery  row. 
Sometimes,  after  the  first  tip  is  rooted,  buds  a  little  above 
it  will  push  into  shoots  which  also  will  root  themselves  with 
slight  assistance,  and  thus  the  number  of  new  plants  is 
greatly  increased.  Spring  is  by  far  the  best  time,  at  the  * 
North,  for  planting  these  rooted  tips ;  but  it  should  be  done 
as  early  as  possible,  before  the  bud  has  started  into  its  brit- 
tle, succulent  growth.  At  the  South,  November  is  probably 
the  best  season  for  planting.  It  is  a  species  that  adapts 
itself  to  most  soils,  even  the  lightest,  and  endures  much 
neglect.  At  the  same  time,  it  responds  generously  to  good 
culture  and  rigorous  pruning,  and  if  moisture  is  abundant 
the  yield  is  simply  enormous.  It  not  only  thrives  far  to  the 
north,  but  can  also  be  grown  farther  south  than  any  other 
class  of  raspberries. 

In  planting,  spread  out  the  roots  and  let  them  go  down 
their  full  length,  but  do  not  put  over  an  inch  or  two  of  soil 
on  the  bud  from  which  the  new  canes  are  to  spring.  Press 
the  earth  firmly  around  this  bud,  but  not  on  it.  Let  the 
rows  be  six  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  three  feet  from  each 
other  in  the  row ;  at  this  distance,  2,400  will  be  required 


232  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

for  an  acre.  Summer  pinching  back  will  transform  these 
sprawling,  drooping  canes  into  compact,  stocky  bushes,  or 
ornamental  shrubs  that  in  sheltered  locations  will  be  self- 
supporting.  Clean  culture,  and,  as  the  plantation  grows 
older,  higher  stimulation,  greatly  enhance  success.  After 
the  plants  begin  to  show  signs  of  age  and  feebleness,  it  is 
best  to  set  out  young  plants  on  new  ground. 

The  varieties  of  this  species  are  almost  innumerable,  since 
seedlings  come  up  by  the  million  every  year ;  but  the  dif- 
ferences between  the  majority  of  them  are  usually  very 
slight.  There  are  four  kinds,  however,  that  have  won  hon- 
orable distinction  and  just  popularity.  The  earliest  of  these 
is  Davidson's  Thornless,  said  to  have  originated  in  the 
garden  of  Mrs.  Mercy  Davidson,  Towanda,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y. 
It  is  nothing  like  so  vigorous  a  grower  as  the  other  three 
varieties ;  but  the  sweetness  of  the  fruit  and  the  freedom 
from  thorns  make  it  desirable  for  the  home  garden.  Unless 
high  culture  or  moist  soil  is  given,  I  do  not  recommend  it 
for  market. 

Next  in  order  of  ripening  is  the  Doolittle,  or  American 
Improved,  found  growing  wild,  about  thirty-five  years  since, 
by  Leander  Joslyn,  of  Phelps,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  in- 
troduced by  Mr.  H.  H.  Doolittle.  This,  hitherto,  has  been 
the  most  popular  of  all  the  species,  and  thousands  of  bushels 
are  annually  raised  for  market.  The  plant  is  exceedingly 
vigorous,  producing  strong,  branching  canes  that  literally 
cover  themselves  with  fruit.  I  have  seen  long  rows  fairly 
black  with  caps.  Perhaps  it  should  be  stated  that  the 
thorns  are  vigorous  also. 

Latest  in  ripening  is  the  Mammoth  Cluster,  or  McCor- 
mick,  which,  thus  fary  has  been  my  favorite.  It  is  even 
more  vigorous  than  the  preceding,  but  not  so  briery  or 
branching.  rrhe  fruit  is  produced  usually  in  a  thick  cluster 


BLACK-CAP  RASPBERRIES,  ETC.  233 

or  bunch  at  the  end  of  the  branch,  and  they  ripen  more 
together  than  the  other  kinds.  The  caps,  too,  are  much 
larger,  more  juicy  and  fine-flavored.  One  is  less  conscious 
of  the  seeds.  Between  the  thumb  and  finger  you  can  often 
gather  a  handful  from  a  single  spray,  it  is  so  prodigiously 
productive.  Thus  far  it  has  been  unsurpassed,  either  for 
home  use  or  market ;  but  now  it  is  encountering  a  rival  in 
the  Gregg,  a  mew  variety  that  is  attracting  much  attention. 
Its  history,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn  it,  is  as 
follows : — 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  1866,  this  black  raspberry  was 
found  growing  wild  in  a  ravine  on  the  Gregg  farm,  which 
is  located  in  Ohio  Co.,  Indiana.  The  original  bush  "  was 
bending  under  the  weight  of  colossal-sized  clusters.  It  was 
then  a  single  clump,  surrounded  by  a  few  young  plants 
growing  from  its  tips.  Before  introducing  it  to  the  public, 
we  gave  it  a  most  thorough  and  complete  trial.  We  have 
put  it  on  the  tables  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  horticul- 
tural societies,  and  by  each  it  has  been  voted  the  highest 
rank  in  their  fruit  lists.  At  the  Centennial  Exposition,  at 
Philadelphia,  hi  competition  with  all  the  prominent  varieties 
in  the  world,  it  was  ranked  highest  by  the  judges.  During 
eleven  years  of  observation  it  has  survived  the  coldest  win- 
ters, and  never  failed  to  yield  an  abundant  crop.  It  is  a 
vigorous,  rapid  grower,  producing  strong,  well-matured 
canes  by  fall.  The  fruit  is  beautiful  in  appearance,  delicious, 
possessing  excellent  shipping  and  keeping  qualities." 

The  above  is  a  mild  and  condensed  statement  of  its 
claims,  as  set  forth  by  Messrs.  R.  &  P.  Gregg,  proprietors  of 
the  Gregg  farm,  and  I  believe  these  gentlemen  have  given  a 
correct  account  of  their  experience.  As  the  result  of  much 
inquiry,  it  would  appear  that  this  variety  is  also  doing  well 
throughout  the  country  at  large. 


234  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Mr.  N.  Ohmer,  who  has  been  most  prominent  in  intro- 
ducing the  Gregg,  gives  the  following  account  of  his  first 
acquaintance  with  it :  "  At  a  meeting  of  the  Indiana  State 
Horticultural  Society,  held  at  Indianapolis,  a  gentleman 
asked  for  the  privilege  of  making  some  remarks  about  a  new 
black  raspberry  that  he  was  cultivating.  Being  pretty  long- 
winded,  as  most  lawyers  are,  he  spoke  so  long,  and  said  so 
much  in  favor  of  his  berry,  that  no  one  believed  him,  and 
were  glad  when  he  got  through.  The  summer  following,  I 
chanced  to  call  on  the  Secretary  of  the  Indiana  State  Board 
of  Agriculture,  in  the  Capitol  building,  and  was  surprised  to 
see  on  his  table  about  half  a  peck  of  berries  and  an  armful 
of  canes  loaded  with  the  largest,  handsomest,  and  best  black 
raspberries  I  had  ever  seen.  Mr.  Herron,  the  Secretary,  in- 
formed me  that  they  were  grown  by  Messrs.  R.  &  P.  Gregg. 
I  obtained  two  hundred  plants,  a  few  of  which  bore  fruit  so 
fine,  the  following  season,  that  all  who  saw  it  wanted  plants.'* 
It  was  learned  that  Mr.  Gregg  was  the  lawyer  who  was 
thought  "  long-winded,"  and  many  who  then  yawned  have 
since  thought,  no  doubt,  that  they  might  have  listened  with 
much  profit,  for  the  demand  for  the  plants  has  become 
greater  than  the  supply.  Only  time  can  show  whether  the 
Gregg  is  to  supersede  the  Mammoth  Cluster.  I  observe 
that  veteran  fruit  growers  are  very  conservative,  and  by  no 
mer.ns  hasty  to  give  a  new-comer  the  place  that  a  fine  old 
variety  has  won  by  years  of  excellence  in  nearly  all  diversi- 
ties of  soil  and  climate.  The  Gregg  certainly  promises  re- 
markably well,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Meehan,  editor  of  the 
"  Gardener's  Monthly,"  who  is  well  known  to  be  exceed- 
ingly careful  and  conscientious  in  indorsing  new  fruits, 
writes  :  "  We  believe  this  variety  is  generally  larger  than  any 
Other  of  its  kind  yet  known." 

There  are  many  other  candidates  for  favor,  but  thus  far 


PURPLE  CANE  RASPBERRIES,  ETC. 

they  are  untried,  or  have  not  proved  themselves  equal  to 
the  kinds  I  have  named. 

Quite  a  distinct  branch  of  R.  Occidentalis  is  the  Purple 
Cane  family,  —  so  named,  I  think,  from  the  purple  cane 
raspberry  that  was  so  well  known  in  old  gardens  a  few  years 
ago,  but  since  it  has  been  superseded  by  better  kinds  is  now 
fast  passing  out  of  cultivation.  It  almost  took  care  of  itself 
in  our  home  garden  for  forty  years  or  more,  and  its  soft, 
small  berries  would  melt  in  one's  mouth.  Its  canes  were 
smooth  and  its  fruit  of  a  dusky-red  color.  In  other  respects, 
it  resembles  the  black-cap  tribe. 

The  Catawissa,  found  growing  in  a  Pennsylvania  grave- 
yard, is  another  berry  of  this  class,  which  produces  a  second 
crop  in  autumn.  It  is  tender  in  the  Northern  States,  and 
has  never  become  popular. 

The  Philadelphia  is  the  best  known  of  the  class,  and  at 
one  time  was  immensely  popular.  Its  canes  are  smooth, 
stout,  erect  in  growth,  and  enormously  productive  of 
meiium-sized,  round,  dusky-red  berries  of  very  poor  flavor. 
It  throve  so  well  on  the  light  soils  about  Philadelphia,  that 
it  was  heralded  to  the  skies,  and  the  plants  sold  at  one  time 
as  high  as  $40  per  100,  but  the  inferior  flavor  and  unattrac- 
tive appearance  of  the  fruit  caused  it  to  decline  steadily  in 
favor,  and  now  it  has  but  few  friends.  Unlike  others  of  its 
class,  it  does  not  root  from  the  tips,  but  propagates  itself  by 
suckers,  producing  them  sparingly,  however.  When  it  was 
in  such  great  demand,  the  nurserymen  increased  it  by  root 
cuttings,  forced  under  glass. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE   RASPBERRIES   OF  THE   FUTURE. 

"\  T  7E  now  come  to  a  class  that  are  destined,  I  think,  to 
*  *  be  the  raspberries  of  the  future,  or,  at  least,  a  type 
of  them.  I  refer  to  seedlings  of  the  three  original  species 
that  have  been  described.  As  a  rule  (having  exceptions 
of  course),  these  native  seedling  varieties  are  comparatively 
hardy,  and  adapted  to  the  climate  of  America.  This  adap- 
tation applies  to  the  South  in  the  proportion  that  they  pos- 
sess the  qualities  of  the  Rubus  Strigosus  or  Occidentalis. 
To  the  degree  that  the  foreign  element  of  R.  Id&us  exists, 
they  will,  with  a  few  exceptions,  require  winter  protection, 
and  will  be  unable  to  thrive  in  light  soils  and  under  hot 
suns.  Forgetfulness  of  this  principle  is  often  the  cause  of 
much  misapprehension  and  undiscriminating  censure.  I 
have  known  certain  New  Jersey  fruit  growers  to  condemn 
a  variety  unsparingly.  Would  it  not  be  more  sensible  to 
say  it  belongs  to  the  R.  Idtzus  class,  and,  therefore,  is  not 
adapted  to  our  climate  and  light  soil,  but  in  higher  lati- 
tudes and  on  heavy  land  it  may  prove  one  of  the  best  ? 

It  should  here  be  premised  that  these  seedlings  originated 
in  this  country.  Perhaps  they  are  the  product  solely  of  our 
native  species,  or  they  may  result  from  crossing  varieties  of 
R.  Idceus,  in  which  case  they  will  exhibit  the  characteristics 
of  the  foreign  species ;  or,  finally,  from  the  foreign  and  our 
native  species  may  be  produced  a  hybrid  that  will  combine 


THE  RASPBERRIES  OF  THE  FUTURE, 

traits  of  each  line  of  its  lineage.  A  conspicuous  example 
of  the  second  statement  may  be  seen  in  Brinkle's  Orange, 
originated  by  Dr.  Brinkle  many  years  ago.  It  is  essentially 
an  Antwerp  in  character,  and  yet  it  is  more  vigorous,  and 
adapted  to  a  wider  range  of  country  than  the  Antwerp. 
The  berry  is  of  a  beautiful  buff  color,  and  its  delicious 
flavor  is  the  accepted  standard  of  excellence.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  well  known  that  it  will  not  thrive  under  hot  suns 
or  upon  light  land.  It  can  be  raised  south  of  New  York 
only  in  cool,  moist  soils,  and  in  half-shady  locations;  but 
at  the  North,  where  the  conditions  of  growth  are  favora- 
ble, it  produces  strong  branching  canes,  covered  with  white 
spines,  and  is  exceedingly  productive  of  large,  light-colored 
berries  that  melt  on  the  tongue.  There  is  the  same  differ- 
ence between  it  and  the  Brandywine  that  exists  between 
Stowell's  Evergreen  and  flint  field  corn.  It  invariably  re- 
quires winter  protection. 

The  Pride  of  the  Hudson  possesses  the  same  general 
character  as  the  Orange,  and  approaches  it  very  nearly  in 
excellence.  It  certainly  is  the  largest,  most  beautiful  red 
raspberry  now  before  the  public ;  but  in  its  later  develop- 
ment it  has  shown  such  sensitiveness  to  both  heat  and  cold 
that  I  cannot  recommend  it  for  general  cultivation.  Give 
it  a  moist  soil  and  a  half- shady  location,  such  as  may  be 
found  on  the  northern  side  of  a  fence  or  hedge,  and  it  will 
become  the  pride  of  any  northern  garden ;  but  in  the  South, 
and  on  light  soils,  it  can  scarcely  live.  It  should  have  win- 
ter protection. 

In  contrast  with  these  native  berries  of  foreign  parentage, 
we  have  the  Herstine ;  Mr.  B.  K.  Bliss,  the  well-known 
seedsman  of  New  York  city,  kindly  furnishes  me  the  follow- 
ing facts  of  its  history :  "  About  ten  years  since  I  was  in- 
vited, with  several  gentlemen  (mostly  horticulturists),  to 


238  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

visit  the  late  Mr.  Herstine,  at  Philadelphia.  We  were  to 
examine  a  lot  of  seedling  raspberries,  and  select  names  for 
those  that  we  thought  worthy  of  general  cultivation.  We 
found  quite  a  company  there  from  the  vicinity  of  Philadel- 
phia and  from  Washington,  while  New  York  was  represented 
by  such  eminent  authorities  as  Dr.  Thurber  and  A.  S.  Fuller. 
The  raspberry  bushes  were  completely  loaded  with  large, 
fine  fruit,  —  the  finest  I  ever  saw.  Each  variety  was  care- 
fully examined,  and  the  guests  voted  as  to  which,  in  his 
opinion,  was  the  best.  The  Herstine  stood  first,  and  the 
Saunders  second.  Mr.  Herstine  explained  that  they  were 
raised  from  the  Allen  raspberry,  which  had  been  planted 
in  alternate  rows  with  the  Philadelphia."  This  parentage 
would  make  it  a  hybrid  of  the  R.  Strigosus  and  the  purple 
cane  branch  of  the  R.  Occidental  species ;  but  the  plant 
and  fruit  indicate  the  presence,  also,  of  the  R.  Idceus  ele- 
ment. After  several  years'  experience  on  my  own  place, 
I  regard  it  as  the  best  early  raspberry  hi  existence.  The 
berry  is  large,  obtusely  conical,  bright  red,  and  delicious  hi 
flavor.  It  is  scarcely  firm  enough  for  market  where  it  must 
be  sent  any  great  distance,  but  if  picked  promptly  after  it 
reddens,  and  packed  in  a  cool,  airy  place,  it  carries  well  and 
brings  good  prices.  The  canes  are  strong,  red,  stocky,  and 
covered  with  spines.  They  are  but  half-hardy,  and  I  think 
it  is  best  to  cover  them  before  the  first  of  December,  in  our 
latitude.  The  canes  of  the  Saunders,  also  sent  out  by  Mr. 
Herstine,  are  much  darker  in  color,  and  not  so  vigorous, 
but  sufficiently  so.  The  berries  are  large,  ripen  later,  are 
more  globular,  and  are  of  the  same  excellent  quality.  It 
deserves  greater  popularity  than  it  has  received.  It  is,  also, 
only  half-hardy. 

In  the  Clarke,  we  undoubtedly  have  a  variety  containing 
considerable  of  the  R.  Idaus  element.      The  berries  are 


THE  RASPBERRIES  OF  THE  FUTURE.         239 

often  very  large,  bright  crimson,  conical,  with  large,  hairy 
grains.  Occasionally,  the  fruit  on  my  vines  was  very  imper- 
fect, and  crumbled  badly  in  picking.  I  found  that  by  cut- 
ting the  canes  rigorously  back  —  even  one-half — I  obtained 
much  larger  and  more  perfect  berries,  and  in  increased  quan- 
tities. The  canes  are  very  strong,  upright  growers,  ending 
usually  in  a  thick  tuft  of  foliage,  rather  than  in  long,  droop- 
ing tips.  It  was  originated  by  Mr.  E.  E.  Clarke,  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  and  is  but  half-hardy. 

In  the  New  Rochelle,  we  have  a  hybrid  of  the  black-cap 
and  red  raspberry,  the  R.  Occidentalis  element  predomi- 
nating, and  manifesting  itself  in  the  stocky  and  branching 
character  of  the  canes,  and  in  the  fact  that  they  propagate 
themselves  by  tips,  and  not  suckers.  The  New  Rochelle, 
originated  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Carpenter,  of  Rye,  N.  Y.,  is  per- 
haps the  best  of  this  class.  It  is  very  vigorous,  hardy,  and 
enormously  productive,  and  the  fruit  is  of  good  size.  I  do 
not  like  its  sharp  acid,  however,  and  its  dun  or  dusky-brown 
color  will  probably  prevent  it  from  becoming  a  favorite  in 
market,  since  bright-hued  berries  are  justly  much  pre- 
ferred. 

But  Mr.  Carpenter  has  sent  out  another  seedling  which,  I 
think,  is  destined  to  have  a  brilliant  future,  —  the  Caroline. 
It  is  thought  to  be  a  cross  between  the  Catawissa  and  Brin- 
kle's  Orange.  The  canes  are  perfectly  hardy,  very  strong, 
vigorous,  branching,  light-red,  with  a  lighter  bloom  upon 
them  here  and  there.  It  suckers  freely,  and  also  propa- 
gates itself  sparingly  from  the  tips.  The  fruit  is  exceed- 
ingly abundant  and  is  a  round  cap  of  a  beautiful  buff  color, 
almost  equalling  Brinkle's  Orange  in  flavor.  I  think  it  will 
grow  anywhere,  and  thus  will  find  a  place  in  innumerable 
gardens  where  the  Orange  does  not  thrive.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  good  enough  for  any  garden. 


24O  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

The  Ganargua  was  said  to  be  a  hybrid,  but  Mr.  J.  J. 
Thomas  writes  to  me  :  "  I  have  never  been  able  to  discover 
proof  that  it  is  one.  I  think  it  all  R.  Occidentalis,  —  a 
variety." 

The  Reliance,  a  seedling  of  the  Philadelphia,  but  far  su- 
perior to  it,  is  doing  remarkably  well  on  my  place,  and  I 
hear  favorable  accounts  from  other  localities. 

There  are  many  others  that  are  either  old  and  passing 
into  obscurity  or  else  so  new  and  dubious  in  character  that 
limited  space  forbids  their  mention.  We  will  close  this 
sketch  of  varieties  with  the  Cuthbert,  which  that  experi- 
enced and  careful  horticulturist,  Dr.  Hexamer,  calls  the 
"  best  raspberry  now  in  existence." 

This  is  a  chance  seedling,  which  the  late  Thomas  Cuth- 
bert found  in  his  garden,  at  Riverdale,  N.  Y.  His  son  has 
kindly  furnished  the  following  facts  :  — 

"The  raspberry  in  question  was  discovered  by  my  father 
about  eleven  years  ago  in  the  garden  of  our  country  seat  at 
Riverdale-on-the-Hudson.  It  is  probably  a  seedling  of  the 
Hudson  River  Antwerp,  as  it  was  found  growing  near  the  edge 
of  a  patch  of  that  variety,  but  its  great  vigor  of  growth  and  the 
size  and  quality  of  the  fruit  marked  it  at  once  as  a  new  and  dis- 
tinct kind.  Its  canes  were  carefully  separated  from  the  others 
and  a  small  plantation  made  of  them.  The  next  year,  and  from 
time  to  time  since,  plants  were  given  to  our  friends  in  various 
parts  of  the  State  for  trial.  Without  exception,  their  reports 
have  been  favorable,  particular  mention  having  been  made  of 
their  unusual  vigor  of  growth,  their  hardiness,  and  the  firmness 
and  good  keeping  qualities  of  the  fruit.  The  first  year  or  so 
we  gave  the  canes  winter  protection,  but  finding  that  it  was  un- 
necessary, we  have  discontinued  it,  and  I  have  never  heard  of 
the  canes  being  winter-killed." 

From  other  sources  I  learn  that  Mr.  Cuthbert  made  an 
arrangement  with  a  nurseryman  by  the  name  of  Thompson, 


THE  RASPBERRIES  OF  THE  FUTURE.         24! 

to  propagate  and  send  out  the  variety.  This  gentleman 
dying  soon  after,  the  stock  came  into  the  possession  of  Mr. 
H.  J.  Corson,  of  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  and  by  him  and  Mr. 
I.  J.  Simonson,  a  florist,  the  plants  have  been  sent  out  to 
different  parts  of  the  country.  This  dissemination  was  very 
limited,  and  was  characterized  by  an  almost  utter  absence 
of  heralding  and  extravagant  praise.  The  berry  has  literally 
made  its  way  on  its  own  merits.  Dr.  Hexamer  remarked 
to  me  that  he  had  had  it  for  years,  and  had  wondered  why 
its  merits  were  so  overlooked.  My  attention  was  called  to 
it  in  the  summer  of  1878,  and  I  took  pains  to  see  it  in  sev- 
eral localities.  The  large  size  of  the  berries,  their  firmness 
and  fine  flavor,  convinced  me  that  it  was  very  valuable,  and 
the  fact  that  I  found  it  flourishing  luxuriantly  on  New  Jersey 
sand,  and  maintaining  a  perfectly  healthful  foliage  under  an 
August  sun,  led  me  to  believe  that  we  had  at  last  found  a 
first-class  variety  that  would  thrive  on  light  soils  and  under 
hot  suns. 

The  late  W.  C.  Bryant,  the  poet,  himself  well  versed  in 
horticulture,  closed  a  letter  to  me  with  the  following 
words  :  — 

"It  has  always  seemed  to  me  a  scandal  to  our  horticulture 
that  in  a  region  where  the  raspberry  grows  wild,  we  should  not 
have  a  sort  that  would  resist  both  the  winter  cold  and  summer 
heat,  and  produce  abundantly." 

After  another  year  of  observation  and  of  much  correspon- 
dence, extending  even  to  California,  I  am  convinced  that 
the  Cuthbert  does  "  resist  both  the  winter  cold  and  summer 
heat,  and  produce  abundantly,"  far  better  than  any  other 
raspberry  that  equals  it  in  size  and  flavor.  The  canes  are 
strong,  upright,  branching,  if  space  permits,  reddish-brown, 
spines  abundant,  but  not  very  long  and  harsh.  It  is  a 

16 


242  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

rampant  grower  on  good  soil,  but  the  foliage,  so  far  from 
being  rank  and  large,  is  delicate,  and  the  under  side  of  the 
leaves  has  a  light,  silvery  hue.  After  once  getting  hold  of 
the  soil,  it  suckers  immoderately,  but  is  no  worse  in  this 
respect  than  other  vigorous  varieties;  and  this  tendency 
rapidly  declines  after  the  second  year.  Is  it  perfectly  hardy? 
No ;  and  I  do  not  know  of  a  single  good  raspberry  that  is ; 
except,  perhaps,  the  Turner,  which,  however,  is  inferior  to 
the  Cuthbert.  I  have  seen  the  latter  badly  winter-killed, 
but  it  had  stood  eight  years  on  the  same  ground  without 
injury  before.  Then,  because  of  a  rank  growth  late  in  the 
season,  that  especial  patch  was  hit  hard,  while  other  fields, 
but  a  few  miles  away,  were  unharmed.  If  planted  on  well- 
drained  soil,  where  the  wood  could  ripen  well,  I  think  it 
would  be  injured  very  rarely,  if  ever ;  but  I  have  no  faith  in 
talk  about  "  perfectly  hardy  raspberries."  Those  who  ob- 
serve closely  will  often  find  our  hardy  native  species  killed 
to  the  ground,  and  I  think  many  varieties  suffer  more  from 
the  mild,  variable  winters  of  the  Middle  States  than  from  the 
steady  cold  and  snowy  winters  of  the  North.  Moreover, 
any  variety  that  has  not  the  power  of  maintaining  a  healthy 
foliage  through  the  hot  season  will  usually  be  too  feeble  to 
resist  the  winter  following.  The  question  of  hardiness  can 
often  be  settled  better  in  August  than  in  January.  One  of 
the  most  hopeful  features  of  the  Cuthbert,  therefore,  is  its 
tough,  sun-enduring  foliage,  which  enables  the  wood  to  ripen 
perfectly.  It  has  never  received  winter  protection  thus  far, 
either  in  this  region  or  in  Michigan,  where  it  is  largely 
raised,  but  it  may  be  found  necessary  to  shield  it  somewhat 
in  some  localities.  It  is  both  absurd  and  dishonest  to  claim 
perfection  for  a  fruit,  and  the  Cuthbert,  especially  as  it 
grows  older  and  loses  something  of  its  pristine  vigor,  will, 
probably,  like  all  other  varieties,  develop  faults  and  weak- 


THE  RASPBERRIES  OF  THE  FUTURE.          243 

nesses.  We  cannot  too  much  deprecate  the  arrogant  spirit 
often  manifested  in  introducing  new  fruits.  Interested  par- 
ties insist  on  boundless  praise,  and  if  their  advice  were 
followed,  the  fine  old  standards  would  be  plowed  out  to 
make  room  for  a  new-comer  that  often  proves,  on  trial,  little 
better  than  a  weed.  The  Cuthbert  is  not  exactly  a  novelty. 
Through  the  gifts  of  the  originator,  and  sales  running  through 
several  years,  it  has  become  widely  scattered,  and  has  proved 
a  success  in  every  instance,  as  far  as  I  can  learn.  I  show 
my  faith  in  it  by  my  works,  for  I  am  setting  it  out  more 
largely  than  all  other  kinds  together,  even  going  so  far  as  to 
rent  land  for  the  purpose.  I  am  satisfied,  from  frequent 
inquiries  in  Washington  Market,  that  it  will  take  the  lead  of 
all  others,  and  it  is  so  firm  that  it  can  be  shipped  by  rail, 
like  a  Wilson  strawberry. 

In  Delaware  and  Southern  New  Jersey,  a  variety  named 
"  Queen  of  the  Market  "  is  being  largely  set  out.  I  have 
this  variety  in  my  specimen-bed,  side  by  side  with  plants 
that  came  from  Thomas  Cuthbert's  garden,  and  am  almost 
satisfied  that  they  are  identical,  and  that  Queen  of  the 
Market  is  but  a  synonym  of  the  Cuthbert.  I  have  placed 
the  canes  and  spines  of  each  under  a  powerful  microscope 
and  can  detect  no  differences,  and  the  fruit  also  appeared 
so  much  alike  that  I  could  not  see  wherein  it  varied. 
Plants  of  this  variety  were  sent  to  Delaware  some  years 
since,  as  they  were  to  Michigan  and  California,  and,  wher- 
ever tested,  they  seem  to  win  strong  and  immediate  favor. 
Its  chief  fault  in  this  locality  is  its  lateness. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

BLACKBERRIES  —  VARIETIES,    CULTIVATION,    ETC. 

/TVHE  small-fruit  branch  of  the  rose  family  is  assuredly 
•*•  entitled  to  respect  when  it  is  remembered  that  the 
blackberry  is  the  blackest  sheep  in  it.  Unlike  the  raspberry, 
the  drupes  cling  to  the  receptacle,  which  falls  off  with  them 
when  mature,  and  forms  the  hard,  disagreeable  core  when 
the  berry  is  black,  but  often  only  half  ripe.  The  bush  is,  in 
truth,  what  the  ancients  called  it,  —  a  bramble,  and  one  of 
our  Highland  wildcats  could  scarcely  scratch  more  viciously 
than  it,  if  treated  too  familiarly ;  but,  with  judicious  respect 
and  good  management,  it  will  yield  large  and  beautiful 
berries. 

It  would  seem  that  Nature  had  given  her  mind  more  to 
blackberries  than  to  strawberries,  for,  instead  of  merely  five, 
she  has  scattered  about  150  species  up  and  down  the  globe. 
To  describe  all  these  would  be  a  thorny  experience  indeed, 
robbing  the  reader  of  his  patience  as  completely  as  he  would 
be  bereft  of  his  clothing  should  he  literally  attempt  to  go 
through  them  all.  Therefore,  I  shall  give  Professor  Gray's 
description  of  the  two  species  which  have  furnished  our  few 
really  good  varieties,  and  dismiss  with  mere  mention  a  few 
other  species. 

"Rubus  Villosus,  High  Blackberry.  Everywhere  along  thick- 
ets, fence-rows,  etc.,  and  several  varieties  cultivated;  stems  one 


BLACKBERRIES—  VARIETIES,  ETC.  245 

to  six  feet  high,  furrowed  ;  prickles  strong  and  hooked  ;  leaflets 
three  to  five,  ovate  or  lance-ovate,  pointed,  their  lower  surface 
and  stalks  hairy  and  glandular,  the  middle  one  long-stalked  and 
sometimes  heart-shaped ;  flowers  racemed,  rather  large,  with 
short  bracts;  fruit  oblong  or  cylindrical. 

"  R.  Canadensis,  Low  Blackberry  or  Dewberry.  Rocky  and 
sandy  soil ;  long  trailing,  slightly  prickly,  smooth  or  smoothish, 
and  with  three  to  seven  smaller  leaflets  than  in  the  foregoing, 
the  racemes  of  flowers  with  more  leaf-like  bracts,  the  fruit  of 
fewer  grains  and  ripening  earlier." 

The  R.  Cuneifolius,  or  Sand  Blackberry,  is  common  in 
the  sandy  ground  and  barrens  from  New  Jersey  southward ; 
The  R.  Trivialis,  Southern  Low  Blackberry,  is  found  in 
light  soils  from  Virginia  southward ;  the  R.  Hispidus  is  a 
Running  Swamp  Blackberry  whose  long,  slender  stems  creep 
through  low,  damp  woods  and  marshes ;  the  R.  Spectabilis 
produces  purple  solitary  flowers,  and  grows  on  the  banks  of 
the  Columbia  River  in  the  far  Northwest.  Whatever  im- 
provements may  originate  from  these  species  in  the  future, 
they  have  not  as  yet,  to  my  knowledge,  given  us  any  fine 
cultivated  variety. 

R.  Fruticosus  is  the  best-known  European  species,  but 
neither  has  it,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  been  the  source  of 
any  varieties  worthy  of  favor.  It  is  said  to  have  a  peculiar 
flavor,  that  produces  satiety  at  once.  The  blackberry,  there- 
fore, is  exceptional,  in  that  we  have  no  fine  foreign  varieties, 
and  Mr.  Fuller  writes  that  he  cannot  find  "  any  practical 
information  in  regard  to  their  culture  in  any  European  work 
on  gardening." 

The  "  bramble  "  is  quite  fully  treated  in  Mr.  R.  Thomp- 
son's valuable  English  work,  but  I  find  little  to  interest  the 
American  reader.  He  suggests  that  the  several  native  spe- 
cies that  he  describes  are  capable  of  great  improvement,  but 
I  cannot  learn  that  such  effort  has  ever  been  made  success- 
K— ROB— XVII 


246  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

fully.  I  do  not  know  of  any  reason  why  our  fine  varieties* 
will  not  thrive  abroad,  under  conditions  that  accord  with 
their  nature. 

In  America  there  are  innumerable  varieties,  since  Nature 
produces  wild  seedlings  on  every  hillside,  and  not  a  few 
seeds  have  been  planted  by  horticulturists  in  the  hope  of 
originating  a  prize  berry.  Nature  appears  to  have  had  the 
better  fortune,  thus  far,  for  our  best  varieties  are  chance 
seedlings,  found  growing  wild. 

It  is  not  so  many  years  since  the  blackberry  was  regarded 
as  merely  a  bramble  in  this  country,  as  it  now  is  abroad, 
and  people  were  content  with  such  fruit  as  the  woods  and 
fields  furnished.  Even  still,  in  some  localities,  this  supply 
is  so  abundant  as  to  make  the  culture  of  the  blackberry  un- 
profitable. But,  a  number  of  years  since,  Mr.  Lewis  A. 
Seacor  led  to  better  things,  by  observing  on  the  roadside, 
in  the  town  of  "New  Rochelle,  Westchester  county,  New 
York,  a  bush  flourishing  where  Nature  had  planted  it.  This 
variety  took  kindly  to  civilization,  and  has  done  more  to 
introduce  this  fruit  to  the  garden  than  all  other  kinds  to- 
gether. Mr.  Donald  G.  Mitchell,  in  his  breezy  out-of-door 
book,  "  My  Farm  at  Edgewood,"  gives  its  characteristics 
so  admirably  that  I  am  tempted  to  quote  him :  — 

"  The  New  Rochelle  or  Lawton  Blackberry  has  been  despite- 
fully  spoken  of  by  many ;  first,  because  the  market  fruit  is  gen- 
erally bad,  being  plucked  before  it  is  fully  ripened ;  and  next, 
because,  in  rich,  clayey  grounds,  the  briers,  unless  severely  cut 
back,  grow  into  a  tangled,  unapproachable  forest,  with  all  the 
juices  exhausted  in  wood.  But  upon  a  soil  moderately  rich,  a 
little  gravelly  and  warm,  protected  from  winds,  served  with  oc- 
casional top-dressings  and  good  hoeings,  the  Lawton  bears 
magnificent  burdens.  Even  then,  if  you  wish  to  enjoy  the  rich- 
ness of  the  fruit,  you  must  not  be  hasty  to  pluck  it.  When  the 
children  say,  with  a  shout,  '  The  blackberries  are  ripe ! '  I 


BLACKBERRIES—  VARIETIES,  ETC.  247 

know  they  are  black  only,  and  I  can  wait.  When  the  children 
report,  '  The  birds  are  eating  the  berries ! '  I  know  I  can  wait 
But  when  they  say,  '  The  bees  are  on  the  berries  ! '  I  know  they 
are  at  their  ripest.  Then,  with  baskets,  we  sally  out ;  I  taking 
the  middle  rank,  and  the  children  the  outer  spray  of  boughs. 
Even  now  we  gather  those  only  which  drop  at  the  touch ;  these, 
in  a  brimming  saucer,  with  golden  Alderney  cream  and  a  soup$ott 
of  powdered  sugar,  are  Olympian  nectar ;  they  melt  before  the 
tongue  can  measure  their  full  roundness,  and  seem  to  be  mere 
bloated  bubbles  of  forest  honey." 


Notwithstanding  this  eloquent  plea  and  truthful  statement, 
the  Lawton  is  decidedly  on  the  wane.  It  is  so  liable  to  be 
winter-killed,  even  with  best  of  care,  and  its  fruit  is  so  un- 
palatable, in  its  half-ripe  condition,  that  it  has  given  place 
to  a  more  successful  rival,  the  Kittatinny,  —  discovered  in 
Warren  county,  N.  J.,  growing  in  a  forest  near  the  moun- 
tains, whose  Indian  name  has  become  a  household  word 
from  association  with  this  most  delicious  fruit.  Mr.  Wolver- 
ton,  in  finding  it,  has  done  more  for  the  world  than  if  he 
had  opened  a  gold  mine.  Under  good  culture,  the  fruit  is 
very  large ;  sweet,  rich,  and  melting,  when  fully  ripe,  but 
rather  sour  and  hard  when  immature.  It  reaches  its  best 
condition  if  allowed  to  ripen  fully  on  the  vines ;  but  the 
majority  of  pickers  use  their  hands  only,  and  no  more  think 
of  making  nice  discriminations  than  of  questioning  nature 
according  to  the  Baconian  method.  They  gather  all  that 
are  black,  or  nearly  so ;  but  if  this  half-ripe  fruit  is  allowed 
to  stand  in  some  cool,  dry  place  for  about  twelve  hours, 
Kittatinny  berries  may  be  had  possessing  nearly  all  their  lus- 
cious qualities.  The  plant  is  an  upright  and  very  vigorous 
grower,  exceedingly  productive  if  soil  and  culture  are  suit- 
able. Its  leaves  are  long-pointed,  "  finely  and  unevenly 
serrate."  The  season  of  fruiting  is  medium,  continuing  from 


248  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

four  to  six  weeks,  if  moisture  is  maintained.  '  Both  of  these 
varieties  are  derived  from  the  Rubus  villosus  species. 

In  contrast  is  the  next-best  known  sort,  Wilson's  Early, 
—  having  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Dewberry,  or 
running  blackberry,  and,  therefore,  representing  the  second 
species  described,  R.  Canadensis.  Whether  it  is  merely  a 
sport  from  this  species,  or  a  hybrid  between  it  and  the  first- 
named  or  high  blackberry,  cannot  be  accurately  known,  I 
imagine ;  for  it  also  was  found  growing  wild  by  Mr.  John 
Wilson,  of  Burlington,  N.  J.  Under  high  culture,  and  with 
increasing  age,  the  plants  become  quite  erect  and  stocky 
growers,  but  the  ends  of  the  cane  are  drooping.  Fre- 
quently, they  trail  along  the  ground,  and  root  at  the  tips, 
like  the  common  Dewberry ;  and  they  rarely  grow  so  stocky 
but  that  they  can  be  bent  over  covered  with  earth  or  litter, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  tender  raspberries.  It  is  well  that 
this  is  possible,  for  it  has  so  little  power  of  resisting  frost  that 
a  winter  of  ordinary  severity  kills  the  canes  in  the  latitude 
of  New  York.  I  have  always  covered  mine,  and  thus  se- 
cured, at  slight  expense,  a  sure  and  abundant  crop.  The 
fruit  is  earlier  than  the  Kittatinny,  and  tends  to  ripen  alto- 
gether in  about  ten  days.  These  advantages,  with  its  large 
size  and  firmness,  make  it  a  valuable  market  berry  in  New 
Jersey,  where  hundreds  of  acres  of  it  have  been  planted, 
and  where  it  is  still  very  popular.  Throughout  the  North 
and  West,  it  has  been  found  too  tender  for  cultivation,  un- 
less protected.  In  flavor,  it  is  inferior  to  the  Kittatinny 
or  Snyder. 

For  many  years,  the  great  desideratum  has  been  a  per- 
fectly hardy  blackberry,  and  this  want  has  at  last  been  met 
in  part  by  the  Snyder,  a  Western  variety  that  seems  able  to 
endure,  without  the  slightest  injury,  the  extremes  of  tem- 
perature common  in  the  Northwestern  States.  From  Ne- 


BLACKBERRIES—  VARIETIES,  ETC.  249 

braska  eastward,  I  have  followed  its  history,  and  have  never 
heard  of  its  being  injured  by  frost.  It  originated  on,  or 
in  the  vicinity  of,  Mr.  Snyder's  farm,  near  La  Porte,  Ind., 
about  1851,  and  is  an  upright,  exceedingly  vigorous,  and 
stocky  grower,  a  true  child  of  the  R.  villosus.  Its  one  fault 
is  that  it  is  not  quite  large  enough  to  compete  with  those  al- 
ready described.  On  moist  land,  with  judicious  pruning, 
it  could  be  made  to  approach  them  very  nearly,  however, 
while  its  earliness,  hardiness,  fine  flavor,  and  ability  to  grow 
and  yield  abundantly  almost  anywhere,  will  lead  to  an  in- 
creasing popularity.  For  home  use,  size  is  not  so  impor- 
tant as  flavor  and  certainty  of  a  crop.  It  is  also  more 
nearly  ripe  when  first  black  than  any  other  kind  that  I  have 
seen ;  its  thorns  are  straight,  and  therefore  less  vicious.  I 
find  that  it  is  growing  steadily  in  favor ;  and  where  the  Kit- 
tatinny  is  winter-killed,  this  hardy  new  variety  leaves  little 
cause  for  repining. 

There  are  several  kinds  that  are  passing  out  of  cultivation, 
and  not  a  few  new  candidates  for  favor ;  but  the  claims  of 
superiority  are  as  yet  too  doubtful  to  be  recognized.  Mr. 
James  Wilson,  of  West  Point,  N.  Y.,  found  some  magnifi- 
cent wild  berries  growing  on  Crow  Nest  Mountain.  The 
bush  that  bore  them  is  now  in  my  garden,  and  if  it  should 
produce  fruit  having  a  flavor  equal  to  Rodman  Drake's 
poem,  Mr.  Wilson  has,  then,  found  something  more  real  than 
a  "Culprit  Fay."  Occasionally,  a  thornless  blackberry  is 
heralded,  and  not  a  few  have  reason  to  recall  the  "  Hoosac," 
which  was  generally  found,  I  think,  about  as  free  from  fruit 
as  thorns.  We  have,  also,  the  horticultural  paradox  of  white 
blackberries,  in  the  "  Crystal,"  introduced  by  Mr.  John  B. 
Orange,  of  Albion,  Illinois,  and  some  others.  They  have 
little  value,  save  as  curiosities. 


2$O  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS, 

PROPAGATION,  CULTURE,   ETC. 

In  most  instances  I  think  more  difficulty  would  be  found 
in  making  a  blackberry  die  than  live.  A  plant  set  out  in 
fall  or  early  spring  will  thrive  if  given  the  ghost  of  a  chance. 
Late  spring  plantings,  however,  often  fail  if  subjected  to  heat 
and  drought  while  in  the  green,  succulent  condition  of  early 
growth.  Like  the  raspberry,  the  blackberry  should  be  set, 
if  possible,  while  in  a  dormant  condition.  If  planted  late, 
shade  should  be  given  and  moisture  maintained  until  dan- 
ger of  wilting  and  shrivelling  is  past.  I  advise  decidedly 
against  late  spring  plantings  on  a  large  scale,  but  in  early 
spring  planting  I  have  rarely  lost  a  plant.  Almost  all  that 
has  been  said  concerning  the  planting  and  propagation  of 
raspberries  applies  to  this  fruit.  Set  the  plants  two  or  three 
inches  deeper  than  they  were  before.  With  the  exception 
of  the  early  Wilson,  all  speedily  propagate  themselves  by 
suckers,  and  this  variety  can  be  increased  readily  by  root 
cuttings.  Indeed,  better  plants  are  usually  obtained  from 
all  varieties  by  sowing  slips  of  the  root,  as  has  already  been 
explained  in  the  paper  on  raspberries. 

The  treatment  of  the  blackberry  can  best  be  indicated  by 
merely  noting  wherein  its  requirements  differ  from  the  last- 
named  and  kindred  fruit.  For  instance,  it  does  best  on 
light  soils  and  in  sunny  exposures.  The  partial  shade,  and 
moist,  heavy  land  in  which  the  raspberry  luxuriates  would 
produce  a  rank  growth  of  canes  that  winter  would  generally 
find  unripened,  and  unable  to  endure  the  frost.  Warm, 
well-drained,  but  not  dry  land,  therefore,  is  the  best.  On 
hard,  dry  ground,  the  fruit  often  never  matures,  but  be- 
comes mere  collections  of  seeds.  Therefore  the  need  in 
the  preparation  of  the  soil  of  deep  plowing,  and  the  thor- 
ough loosening,  if  possible,  of  the  subsoil  with  the  lifting 


PROPAGATION,   CULTURE,  ETC. 

plow.  Any  one  who  has  traced  blackberry  roots  in  light 
soils  will  seek  to  give  them  foraging-room.  Neither  does 
this  fruit  require  the  fertility  needed  in  most  instances  -  by 
the  raspberry.  It  inclines  to  grow  too  rankly  at  best,  and 
demands  mellowness  rather  than  richness  of  soil. 

More  room  should  also  be  given  to  the  blackberry  than 
to  the  raspberry.  The  rows  should  be  six  feet  apart  in  the 
garden  and  eight  feet  in  field  culture,  and  the  plants  set 
three  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  At  this  distance,  1,815  are 
required  for  an  acre,  if  one  plant  only  is  placed  in  a  hill. 
Since  these  plants  are  usually  cheap,  if  one  is  small  or  un- 
provided with  good  roots,  it  is  well  to  plant  two.  If  the 
ground  is  not  very  fertile,  it  is  well  to  give  the  young  plants 
a  good  start  by  scattering  a  liberal  quantity  of  muck  com- 
post down  the  furrow  in  which  they  are  planted.  This  in- 
sures the  most  vigorous  growth  of  young  canes  in  the  rows 
rather  than  in  the  intervening  spaces.  As  generally  grown, 
they  require  support,  and  may  be  staked  as  raspberries. 
Very  often,  cheap  post-and-wire  trellises  are  employed, 
and  answer  excellently.  Under  this  system  they  can  be 
grown  in  a  continuous  and  bushy  row,  with  care  against 
overcrowding. 

The  ideal  treatment  of  the  blackberry  is  management 
rather  than  culture.  More  can  be  done  with  the  thumb 
and  finger  at  the  right  time  than  with  the  most  savage 
pruning-shears  after  a  year  of  neglect.  In  May  and  June 
the  perennial  roots  send  up  vigorous  shoots  that  grow  with 
amazing  rapidity,  until  from  five  to  ten  feet  high.  Very 
often,  this  summer  growth  is  so  brittle  and  heavy  with  foli- 
age, that  thunder-gusts  break  them  off  from  the  parent  stem 
just  beneath  the  ground,  and  the  bearing  cane  of  the  com- 
ing year  is  lost.  These  and  the  following  considerations 
show  the  need  of  summer  pruning.  Tall,  overgrown  canes 


252  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

are  much  more  liable  to  be  injured  by  frost.  They  need 
high  and  expensive  supports.  Such  branchless  canes  are 
by  no  means  so  productive  as  those  which  are  made  to 
throw  out  low  and  lateral  shoots.  They  can  always  be 
made  to  do  this  by  a  timely  pinch  that  takes  off  the  termi- 
nal bud  of  the  cane.  This  stops  its  upward  growth,  and 
the  buds  beneath  it,  which  otherwise  might  remain  dormant, 
are  immediately  forced  to  become  side  branches  near  the 
ground,  where  the  snow  may  cover  them,  and  over  which, 
in  the  garden,  straw  or  other  light  litter  may  be  thrown,  on 
the  approach  of  winter.  It  thus  is  seen  that  by  early  sum- 
mer pinching  the  blackberry  may  be  compelled  to  become 
as  low  and  bushy  a  shrub  as  we  desire,  and  is  made  stocky 
and  self-supporting  at  the  same  time.  Usually  it  is  not  well 
to  let  the  bushes  grow  over  four  feet  high ;  and  in  regions 
where  they  winter- kill  badly,  I  would  keep  them  under  three 
feet,  so  that  the  snow  might  be  a  protection.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  Kittatinny  is  so  nearly  hardy  that  in 
almost  all  instances  a  very  slight  covering  saves  it.  The 
suckers  that  come  up  thickly  between  the  rows  can  be  cut 
away  while  small  with  the  least  possible  trouble ;  but  leave 
the  patch  or  field  to  its  own  wild  impulses  for  a  year  or  so, 
and  you  may  find  a  "  slip  of  wilderness  "  in  the  midst  of 
your  garden  that  will  require  not  a  little  strength  and 
patience  to  subdue.  By  far  the  best  weapon  for  such  a 
battle,  and  the  best  implement  also  for  cutting  out  the  old 
wood,  is  a  pair  of  long-handled  shears. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

CURRANTS CHOICE   OF   SOIL,    CULTIVATION,   PRUNING,   ETC. 

/~PHEY  were  "  curns  "  in  our  early  boyhood,  and  "  curns  " 
•^  they  are  still  in  the  rural  vernacular  of  many  regions. 
In  old  English  they  were  "  corrans,"  because  the  people  as- 
sociated them  with  the  raisins  of  the  small  Zante  grape,  once 
imported  so  exclusively  from  Corinth  as  to  acquire  the  name 
of  that  city. 

Under  the  tribe  Grossularice  of  the  Saxifrage  family  we 
find  the  Ribes,  containing  many  species  of  currants  and 
gooseberries ;  but,  in  accordance  with  the  scope  of  this  book, 
we  shall  quote  from  Professor  Gray  (whose  arrangement  we 
follow)  only  those  that  furnish  the  currants  of  cultivation. 

*  Ribes  rubrum,  red  currant,  cultivated  from  Europe,  also 
wild  on  our  northern  border,  with  straggling  or  reclining 
stems,  somewhat  heart-shaped,  moderately  three  to  five 
lobed  leaves,  the  lobes  roundish  and  drooping  racemes  from 
lateral  buds  distinct  from  the  leaf  buds ;  edible  berries  red, 
or  a  white  variety." 

This  is  the  parent  of  our  cultivated  red  and  white  varie- 
ties. Currants  are  comparatively  new-comers  in  the  garden. 
When  the  Greek  and  Roman  writers  were  carefully  noting 
and  naming  the  fruits  of  their  time,  the  Ribes  tribe  was  as 
wild  as  any  of  the  hordes  of  the  far  North,  in  whose  dim, 
cold,  damp  woods  and  bogs  it  then  flourished,  but,  like  other 
Northern  tribes,  it  is  making  great  improvement  under  the 
genial  influences  of  civilization  and  culture. 


254  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Until  within  a  century  or  two,  gardeners  who  cultivated 
currants  at  all  were  content  with  wild  specimens  from  the 
woods.  The  exceedingly  small,  acid  fruit  of  these  wildings 
was  not  calculated  to  inspire  enthusiasm  ;  but  a  people  pos- 
sessing the  surer  qualities  of  patience  and  perseverance  de- 
termined to  develop  them,  and,  as  a  result,  we  have  the  old 
Red  and  White  Dutch  varieties,  as  yet  unsurpassed  for  the 
table.  In  the  Victoria,  Cherry,  and  White  Grape,  we  have 
decided  advances  in  size,  but  not  in  flavor. 

CHOICE  AND   PREPARATION   OF  SOIL. 

The  secret  of  success  in  the  culture  of  currants  is  sug- 
gested by  the  fact  that  nature  has  planted  nearly  every 
species  of  the  Ribes  in  cold,  damp,  northern  exposures. 
Throughout  the  woods  and  bogs  of  the  Northern  Hemis- 
phere is  found  the  scraggy,  untamed,  hardy  stock  from 
which  has  been  developed  the  superb  White  Grape.  As 
with  people,  so  with  plants ;  development  does  not  eradicate 
constitutional  traits  and  tendencies.  Beneath  all  is  the 
craving  for  the  primeval  conditions  of  life,  and  the  best 
success  with  the  currant  and  gooseberry  will  assuredly  be 
obtained  by  those  who  can  give  them  a  reasonable  approach 
to  the  soil,  climate,  and  culture  suggested  by  their  damp, 
cold,  native  haunts.  As  with  the  strawberry,  then,  the  first 
requisite  is,  not  wetness,  but  abundant  and  continuous  mois- 
ture. Soils  naturally  deficient  in  this,  and  which  cannot  be 
made  drought-resisting  by  deep  plowing  and  cultivation, 
are  not  adapted  to  the  currant.  Because  this  fruit  is  found 
wild  in  bogs,  it  does  not  follow  that  it  can  be  grown  suc- 
cessfully in  undrained  swamps.  It  will  do  better  in  such 
places  than  on  dry,  gravelly  knolls,  or  on  thin,  light  soils; 
but  our  fine  civilized  varieties  need  civilized  conditions. 


CHOICE  AND  PREPARATION  OF  SOIL.          255 

The  well-drained  swamp  may  become  the  very  best  of 
currant  fields ;  and  damp,  heavy  land,  that  is  capable  of 
deep,  thorough  cultivation,  should  be  selected  if  possible. 
When  such  is  not  to  be  had,  then,  by  deep  plowing,  subsoil- 
ing,  by  abundant  mulch  around  the  plants  throughout  the 
summer,  and  by  occasional  waterings  in  the  garden,  counter- 
acting the  effects  of  lightness  and  dryness  of  soil,  skill  can 
go  far  in  making  good  nature's  deficiencies. 

Next  to  depth  of  soil  and  moisture,  the  currant  requires 
fertility.  It  is  justly  called  one  of  the  "  gross  feeders,"  and 
is  not  particular  as  to  the  quality  of  its  food,  so  that  it  is 
abundant.  I  would  still  suggest,  however,  that  it  be  fed 
according  to  its  nature  with  heavy  composts,  in  which  muck, 
leaf-mold,  and  the  cleanings  of  the  cow-stable  are  largely 
present.  Wood-ashes  and  bone-meal  are  also  most  excel- 
lent. If  stable  or  other  light  manures  must  be  used,  I  would 
suggest  that  they  be  scattered  liberally  on  the  surface  in 
the  fall  or  early  spring,  and  gradually  worked  in  by  culti- 
vation. Thus  used,  their  light  heating  qualities  will  do  no 
harm,  and  they  will  keep  the  surface  mellow  and,  therefore, 
moist. 

The  shadowy,  Northern  haunts  of  the  wild  currant  also 
suggest  that  it  will  falter  and  fail  under  the  Southern  sun ; 
and  this  is  true.  As  we  pass  down  through  the  Middle 
States,  we  find  it  difficult  to  make  thrive  even  the  hardy 
White  and  Red  Dutch  varieties,  and  a  point  is  at  last 
reached  when  the  bushes  lose  theh  leaves  in  the  hot  season, 
and  die.  From  the  latitude  of  New  York  south,  therefore, 
increasing  effort  should  be  made  to  supply  the  currants' 
constitutional  need,  by  giving  partial  shade  among  pear  or 
widely  set  apple  trees,  or,  better  still,  by  planting  on  the 
northern  side  of  fences,  buildings,  etc.  By  giving  a  cool, 
half-shady  exposure  in  moist  land,  the  culture  of  the  currant 


256  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FXUITS. 

can  be  extended  far  to  the  south,  especially  in  the  high 
mountain  regions.  Even  well  to  the  north  it  is  unprofitable 
when  grown  on  light,  thin,  poor  land,  unless  given  liberal, 
skilful  culture. 


PLANTING,  CULTIVATION  AND   PRUNING. 

I  regard  autumn  as  the  best  season  for  planting  currants, 
but  have  succeeded  nearly  as  well  in  early  spring.  If  kept 
moist,  there  is  little  danger  of  the  plants  dying  at  any  time, 
but  those  set  in  the  fall  or  early  spring  make,  the  first  year, 
a  much  larger  growth  than  those  planted  when  the  buds 
have  developed  into  leaves.  Since  they  start  so  early,  they 
should  be  set  in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  dry 
enough  to  work,  and  in  the  autumn,  any  time  after  the 
leaves  fall  or  the  wood  is  ripe.  The  plants  of  commerce 
are  one,  two  and  three  years  old,  though  not  very  many  of 
the  last  are  sold.  I  would  as  soon  have  one-year  plants,  if 
well  rooted,  as  any,  since  they  are  cheaper  and  more  certain 
to  make  strong,  vigorous  bushes,  if  given  generous  treatment 
in  the  open  field,  than  if  left  crowded  too  long  in  nursery 
rows.  For  the  garden,  where  fruit  is  desired  as  soon  as 
possible,  two  and  three  year  old  plants  are  preferable. 
After  planting,  cut  the  young  bushes  back  one-half  or  two- 
thirds,  so  as  to  insure  new  and  vigorous  growth. 

In  field  culture,  I  recommend  that  the  rows  be  five  feet 
apart,  and  the  plants  four  feet  from  each  other  in  the  row. 
In  this  case  2,178  plants  are  required  for  an  acre.  If  it  is 
designed  to  cultivate  them  both  ways,  let  the  plants  be  set 
at  right  angles  five  feet  apart,  an  acre  now  requiring  1,74* 
plants.  Sink  them  two  or  three  inches  deeper  than  they 
stood  fn  the  nursery  rows,  and  although  in  preparation  the 
ground  was  well  enriched,  a  shovel  of  compost  around  the 


PLANTING,  CULTIVATION,  AND  PRUNING, 

young  plant  gives  it  a.  fine  send-off,  and  hastens  the  develop- 
ment of  a  profitable  bush.  In  the  field  and  for  market,  I 
would  urge  that  currants  be  grown  invariably  in  bush,  rather 
than  in  tree  form.  English  writers,  and  some  here  who 
follow  them,  recommend  the  latter  method ;  but  it  is  not 
adapted  to  our  climate,  and  to  such  limited  attention  as  we 
can  afford  to  give.  The  borers,  moreover,  having  but  a 
single  stem  to  work  upon,  would  soon  cause  many  vacancies 
in  the  rows. 

Currants  are  grown  for  market  with  large  and  increasing 
profits ;  indeed,  there  is  scarcely  a  fruit  that  now  pays 
better. 

Mr.  John  S.  Collins,  of  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  by  the  follow- 
ing ingenious,  yet  simple,  invention,  is  able  to  drive  through 
his  currant  and  raspberry  fields  without  injuring  the  plants. 
"  An  ordinary  cart  is  changed  by  putting  in  an  axle  fifteen 
inches  longer  than  usual,  the  wheels  thus  making  a  track  six 
feet  and  eight  inches  wide.  The  shafts  and  body  of  the 
cart  are  put  just  as  close  to  one  wheel  as  possible,  so  that 
the  horse  and  the  wheel  will  pass  as  near  together,  and  as 
near  in  a  line,  as  practicable.  The  axle  of  the  other  wheel 
being  long,  and  bowing  up  several  inches  higher  than  ordi- 
nary in  the  middle,  it  passe?  over  a  row  of  bushes  with  little 
or  no  damage.  Thus,  fertilizers  can  be  carried  to  all  parts 
of  the  field." 

Of  course,  it  would  not  do  to  drive  through  bushes  laden 
with  fruit ;  but  after  they  were  picked,  such  a  vehicle  could 
cause  but  little  injury. 

In  the  garden  and  for  home  use  there  is  the  widest  lati- 
tude. We  may  content  ourselves,  as  many  do,  with  a  few 
old  Red  Dutch  bushes  that  for  a  generation  have  struggled 
with  grass  and  burdocks.  We  may  do  a  little  better,  and 
set  out  plants  in  ordinary  garden  soil,  but  forget  for  years 

17 


25  8  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL 

to  give  a  particle  of  food  to  the  starving  bushes,  remarking 
annually,  with  increasing  emphasis,  that  they  must  be  "  run- 
ning out."  Few  plants  of  the  garden  need  high  feeding 
more,  and  no  others  are  more  generally  starved.  I  will 
guarantee  that  there  are  successful  farmers  who  no  more 
think  of  manuring  a  currant  bush  than  of  feeding  crows. 
This  fruit  will  live,  no  matter  how  we  abuse  it,  but  there  are 
scarcely  any  that  respond  more  quickly  to  generous  treat- 
ment ;  and  in  the  garden  where  it  is  not  necessary  to  keep 
such  a  single  eye  to  the  margin  of  profit,  many  beautiful 
and  interesting  things  can  be  done  with  the  currant.  The 
majority  will  be  satisfied  with  large,  vigorous  bushes,  well 
enriched,  mulched  and  skilfully  pruned.  If  we  choose, 
however,  we  may  train  them  into  pretty  little  trees,  umbrella, 
globe,  or  pyramidal  in  shape,  according  to  our  fancy,  and 
by  watchfulness  and  the  use  of  ashes,  keep  away  the  borers. 
In  one  instance  I  found  a  few  vigorous  shoots  that  had 
made  a  growth  of  nearly  three  feet  in  a  single  season.  With 
the  exception  of  the  terminal  bud  and  three  or  four  just  be- 
low it,  I  disbudded  these  shoots  carefully,  imbedded  the 
lower  ends  six  inches  in  moist  soil  as  one  would  an  ordinary 
cutting,  and  they  speedily  took  root  and  developed  into 
little  trees.  Much  taller  and  more  ornamental  currant  and 
gooseberry  trees  can  be  obtained  by  grafting  any  variety  we 
wish  on  the  Missouri  species  {Ribes  aureum).  These  can 
be  made  pretty  and  useful  ornaments  of  the  lawn,  as  well 
as  of  the  garden.  Instead,  therefore,  of  weed-choked, 
sprawling,  unsightly  objects,  currant  bushes  can  be  made 
things  of  beauty,  as  well  as  of  sterling  worth. 

The  cultivation  of  the  currant  is  very  simple.  As  early 
in  the  spring  as  the  ground  is  dry  enough,  it  should  be 
thoroughly  stirred  by  plow  or  cultivator,  and  all  perennial 
weeds  and  grasses  just  around  the  bushes  taken  out  with 


PLANTING,  CULTIVATION,  AND  PRUN/NG.     2 59 

pronged  hoes  or  forks.  If  a  liberal  topdressing  of  compost 
or  some  other  fertilizer  was  not  given  in  the  autumn,  which 
is  the  best  time  to  apply  it,  let  it  be  spread  over  the  roots 
(not  up  against  the  stems)  before  the  first  spring  cultivation. 
While  the  bushes  are  still  young,  they  can  be  cultivated  and 
kept  clean,  like  any  hoed  crop ;  but  after  they  come  into 
bearing,  —  say  the  third  summer,  —  a  different  course  must 
be  adopted.  If  the  ground  is  kept  mellow  and  bare  under 
the  bushes,  the  fruit  will  be  so  splashed  with  earth  as  to  be 
unsalable,  and  washed  fruit  is  scarcely  fit  for  the  table.  We 
very  properly  wish  it  with  just  the  bloom  and  coloring  which 
Nature  is  a  month  or  more  in  elaborating.  Muddy  or  rinsed 
fruit  suggests  the  sty,  not  a  dining-room.  A  mulch  of 
leaves,  straw,  evergreen  boughs,  —  anything  that  will  keep 
the  ground  clean,  —  applied  immediately  after  the  early 
spring  culture,  is  the  best  and  most  obvious  way  of  preserv- 
ing the  fruit ;  and  this  method  also  secures  all  the  good 
results  which  have  been  shown  to  follow  mulching.  Where 
it  is  not  convenient  to  mulch,  I  would  suggest  that  the 
ground  be  left  undisturbed  after  the  first  thorough  culture, 
until  the  fruit  is  gathered.  The  weeds  that  grow  in  the  in- 
terval may  be  mowed,  and  allowed  to  fall  under  the  bushes. 
By  the  end  of  June,  the  soil  will  have  become  so  fixed  that, 
with  a  partial  sod  of  weeds,  the  fruit  may  hang  over,  or  even 
rest  upon  it,  without  being  splashed  by  the  heavy  rains  then 
prevalent.  This  course  is  not  so  neat  as  clean  cultivation 
or  mulching.  Few  fruit  growers,  however,  can  afford  to 
make  appearances  the  first  consideration.  I  have  heard 
of  oats  being  sown  among  the  bushes  to  keep  the  fruit  clean, 
but  their  growth  must  check  the  best  development  of  the 
fruit  quite  as  much  as  the  natural  crop  of  weeds.  It  would 
be  better  to  give  clean  culture,  and  grow  rye,  or  any  early 
maturing  green  crop,  somewhere  else,  and  when  the  fruit 


26O  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

begins  to  turn,  spread  this  material  under  the  bushes.  On 
many  places,  the  mowings  of  weedy,  swampy  places  would 
be  found  sufficient  for  the  purpose.  After  the  fruit  is  gath- 
ered, start  the  cultivator  and  hoe  at  once,  so  as  to  secure 
vigorous  foliage  and  healthful  growth  throughout  the  entire 
summer. 

Pruning  may  be  done  any  time  after  the  leaves  fall,  and 
success  depends  upon  its  judicious  and  rigorous  perform- 
ance. The  English  gardeners  have  recognized  this  fact, 
and  they  have  as  minute  and  careful  a  system  as  we  apply  to 
the  grape.  These  formal  and  rather  arbitrary  methods  can 
scarcely  be  followed  practically  in  our  hurried  American  life. 
It  seems  to  me  that  I  can  do  no  better  than  to  lay  down  some 
sound  and  general  principles  and  leave  their  working  out  to 
the  judgment  of  the  grower.  In  most  instances,  I  imagine, 
our  best  gardeners  rarely  trim  two  bushes  exactly  alike,  but 
deal  with  each  according  to  its  vigor  and  natural  tendencies ; 
for  a  currant  bush  has  not  a  little  individuality. 

A  young  bush  needs  cutting  back  like  a  young  grape-vine, 
and  for  the  same  reason.  A  grape-vine  left  to  itself  would 
soon  become  a  mass  of  tangled  wood  yielding  but  little  fruit, 
and  that  of  inferior  quality.  In  like  manner  nature,  un- 
curbed, gives  us  a  great,  straggling  bush  that  is  choked  and 
rendered  barren  by  its  own  luxuriance.  Air  and  light  are 
essential,  and  the  knife  must  make  spaces  for  them.  Cut- 
ting, back  and  shortening  branches  develops  fruit  buds. 
Otherwise,  we  have  long,  unproductive  reaches  of  wood. 
This  is  especially  true  of  the  Cherry  and  other  varieties  re- 
sembling it.  The  judicious  use  of  the  knife,  kept  up  from 
year  to  year,  will  almost  double  their  productiveness. 
Again,  too  much  very  young  and  too  much  old  wood  are 
causes  of  unfruitfulness.  The  skilful  culturist  seeks  to  pro- 
duce and  preserve  many  points  of  branching  and  short 


PLANTING,  CULTIVATION,  AND  PRUNING.      26l 

spurs,  for  it  is  here  that  the  little  fruit  buds  cluster  thickly. 
When  a  branch  is  becoming  black  and  feeble  from  age,  cut 
it  back  to  the  root,  that  space  may  be  given  for  younger 
growth.  From  six  to  twelve  bearing  stems,  from  three  to 
five  feet  high,  with  their  shortened  branches  and  fruit  spurs, 
may  be  allowed  to  grow  from  the  roots,  according  to  the 
vigor  of  the  plant  and  the  space  allotted  to  it.  Usually,  too 
many  suckers  start  in  the  spring.  Unless  the  crop  of  young 
wood  is  valuable  for  propagation,  all  except  such  as  are 
needed  to  renew  the  bush  should  be  cut  out  as  early  as 
possible,  before  they  have  injured  the  forming  crop.  In 
England,  great  attention  is  paid  to  summer  pruning,  and 
here  much  might  be  accomplished  by  it  if  we  had,  or  would 
take,  the  time. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CURRANTS,    CONTINUED PROPAGATION,   VARIETIES. 

"DRUNING  naturally  leads  to  the  subject  of  propagation, 
A  for  much  of  that  which  is  cut  away,  so  far  from  being 
useless,  is  often  of  great  value  to  the  nurseryman ;  and  there 
are  few  who  grow  this  fruit  for  market  who  could  not  turn 
many  an  honest  penny  if  they  would  take  the  refuse  young 
wood  of  the  previous  summer's  growth  and  develop  it  into 
salable  bushes.  In  most  Instances  a  market  would  be  found 
in  their  own  neighbornood.  Nothing  is  easier  than  success 
in  raising  young  currant  bushes,  except  failure.  If  cuttings 
are  treated  in  accordance  with  their  demand  for  moisture 
and  coolness,  they  grow  with  almost  certainty ;  if  subjected 
to  heat  and  drought,  they  usually  soon  become  dry  sticks. 
The  very  best  course  is  to  make  and  plant  our  cuttings  in 
September  or  very  early  in  October,  —  just  as  soon  as  the 
leaves  fall  or  will  rub  off  readily.  As  is  true  of  a  root-slip,  so 
also  the  wood  cutting  must  make  a  callus  at  its  base  before 
there  can  be  growth.  From  this  the  roots  start  out. 
Therefore,  the  earlier  in  the  fall  that  cuttings  are  :nade,  the 
more  time  for  the  formation  of  this  callus.  Often,  autumn- 
planted  cuttings  are  well  rooted  before  winter,  and  have  just 
that  much  start  over  those  that  must  begin  life  in  the  spring. 
Six  inches  is  the  average  length.  See  Figures  A,  B  and  C. 
Let  the  cuttings  be  sunk  in  deep,  rich,  moist,  but  thoroughly 
well-drained  soil,  so  deeply  as  to  leave  but  two  or  three 


CURRANTS — PRO  PA  GA  TIOJV. 


263 


buds  above  the  ground.     In  the  garden,  where  the  design  is 
to  raise  a  few  fine  bushes  for  home  use  merely,  let  the  rows  be 


Currant  Cuttings  and  Callus. 


two  feet  apart  and  the  cuttings  six  inches  apart  in  the  row. 
In  raising  them  by  the  thousand  for  market,  we  must  econ- 
omize space  and  labor;  and  therefore  one  of  the  best 


264  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

methods,  after  rendering  the  ground  mellow  and  smooth,  is 
to  stretch  a  line  across  the  plat  or  field ;  then,  beginning 
on  one  side  of  the  line,  to  strike  a  spade  into  the  soil  its  full 
depth,  press  it  forward  and  draw  it  out.  This  leaves  a 
slight  opening,  of  the  width  and  depth  of  the  spade,  and  a 
boy  following  inserts  in  this  three  cuttings,  one  in  the  mid- 
dle and  one  at  each  end.  The  man  then  steps  back  and 
drives  the  spade  down  again  about  four  inches  in  the  rear  of 
the  first  opening,  and,  as  he  presses  his  spade  forward  to 
make  a  second,  he  closes  up  the  first  opening,  pressing  — 
indeed,  almost  pinching  —  the  earth  around  the  three  slips 
that  have  just  been  thrust  down,  until  but  one  or  two  buds 
are  above  the  surface.  We  thus  have  a  row  of  cuttings,  three 
abreast,  and  about  three  inches  apart,  across  the  entire  field. 
A  space  of  three  feet  is  left  for  cultivation,  and  then  we 
plant,  as  before,  another  triple  row.  These  thick  rows 
should  be  taken  up  the  following  fall,  when  the  largest  may 
be  sold,  or  planted  where  they  are  to  fruit,  and  the  smaller 
ones  replanted  in  nursery  rows.  When  land  is  abundant 
the  cuttings  may  be  sunk  in  single  rows,  with  sufficient  space 
between  for  horse  cultivation,  and  allowed  to  mature  into 
two-year-old  plants  without  removal.  If  these  are  not 
planted  or  sold,  they  should  be  cut  back  rigorously  before 
making  the  third  year's  growth. 

In  moist  land,  cuttings  can  be  made  to  grow  even  if  set 
out  late  in  the  spring,  especially  if  top-dressed  and 
mulched ;  but  if  they  are  to  be  started  on  high,  dry  land, 
they  should  be  out  sufficiently  early  in  the  autumn  to  be- 
come rooted  before  winter.  If  our  land  is  of  a  nature  that 
tends  to  throw  roots  out  of  the  ground,  — and  moist,  heavy 
land  has  this  tendency,  —  it  may  be  best  to  bury  the  cuttings 
in  bundles,  tied  up  with  fine  wire,  on  a  dry  knoll,  below  the 
action  of  the  frost,  and  set  them  out  early  —  as  early  as 


CURRANTS—  PRO  PA  GA  TION.  26$ 

possible  —  in  the  spring.  At  any  season  the  rows  of  cut- 
tings should  be  well  top-dressed  with  fine  manure,  and  if 
planted  in  autumn,  they  should  be  so  well  covered  with 
straw,  leaves,  or  some  litter,  as  not  to  suffer  or  be  thrown 
out  in  freezing  and  thawing  weather.  I  manage  to  get  half 
my  cuttings  out  in  the  fall,  and  half  in  early  spring. 

In  the  green-house,  and  even  out-of-doors,  under  very 
favorable  circumstances,  plants  may  be  grown  from  single 
buds;  and  green  wood  also  propagates  readily  under 
glass. 

A  vigorous  young  plant,  with  roots  attached,  may  often 
be  obtained  by  breaking  off  the  suckers  that  start  beneath 
the  surface  around  the  stems ;  and,  by  layering  or  bending 
bushes  over  and  throwing  dirt  upon  them,  new  plants  are 
readily  made  also ;  but  more  shapely,  and  usually  more 
vigorous,  bushes  are  obtained  by  simple  cuttings,  as  I  have 
described. 

When  it  is  designed  to  grow  a  cutting  in  a  tree  form,  all 
the  buds  but  two  or  three  at  the  top  should  be  carefully 
removed. 

If  we  wish  to  try  our  fortune  in  raising  new  varieties,  we 
must  sow  seeds  of  the  very  best  specimens  we  can  find, 
gathered  when  perfectly  ripe.  These  seeds  should  never  be 
kept  where  it  is  hot  or  very  dry,  and  should  be  soaked  for 
a  day  or  two  in  tepid  water  before  planting.  Sow  early  in 
spring,  quarter  of  an  inch  deep,  in  fine,  rich  soil,  which  must 
continually  be  kept  moist,  but  never  wet.  Top-dressings  of 
very  fine,  light  manure  would  keep  the  surface  from  bak- 
ing, thus  giving  the  seeds  a  chance  to  germinate.  Toler- 
ate no  weeds.  Remove  the  seedlings  in  the  fall  to  rows 
three  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  two  feet  distant  in  the  row. 
There  they  may  stand  until  their  comparative  value  can  be 
determined. 


266  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

VARIETIES. 

Black  currants  form  quite  a  distinct  class  in  appearance 
and  flavor,  and  are  not  as  popular  with  us  as  in  England. 
They  are  stronger  and  coarser-growing  plants  than  the  red 
and  white  species,  and  do  not  require  as  high  culture.  They 
can  be  grown  to  advantage  in  tree  form,  as  they  are  quite 
exempt  from  insect  enemies.  The  tent  caterpillar  is  the 
only  one  that  I  have  seen  injuring  them.  They  also  re- 
quire much  less  pruning,  since  the  best  fruit  is  borne  on 
the  young  wood  of  the  previous  year's  growth.  If  they  are 
grown  as  bushes,  they  need  more  room,  —  six  feet  apart 
each  way,  —  and  the  knife  need  be  used  only  to  secure 
good  form  and  space  for  air  and  light.  Two  native  species 
—  Ribes  floridum  and  Ribes  aureum  —  are  cultivated  to 
some  extent  (for  description  see  "Gray's  Botany").  Al- 
though these  species  and  their  varieties  are  of  little  value, 
Mr.  Fuller  thinks  that  they  might  become  the  parents  of  far 
better  kinds  than  we  now  have,  since  they  are  strong  grow- 
ers, and  their  fruit  is  naturally  of  better  flavor  than  that  of 
the  European  black  currant.  Ribes  aureum  is  largely  culti- 
vated as  an  ornamental  shrub,  and  its  spicy-scented,  bright 
yellow  flowers  of  early  spring  are  among  my  pleasantest 
memories.  As  has  already  been  explained,  we  can  make 
miniature  trees  of  our  white  and  red  currants,  by  grafting 
them  on  its  strong,  erect-growing  stems.  Ribes  nigrum  is 
the  European  species,  and  is  found  wild  throughout  the 
northern  part  of  the  Eastern  Hemisphere.  Mr.  Fuller  writes 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Siberia  make  a  beverage  from  its  dried 
leaves  which  is  said  closely  to  resemble  green  tea.  Black 
Naples  is  the  finest  variety  of  this  species.  Charles  Downing 
says  of  it :  "  Its  berries  often  measure  nearly  three  quarters 
of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Its  leaves  and  blossoms  appear 


VARIETIES.  267 

earlier  than  those  of  the  common,  or  English  Black,  but  the 
fruit  is  later,  and  the  clusters  as  well  as  the  berries  are  larger 
and  more  numerous."  Lee's  Prolific  is  said  by  some  to  be 
a  slight  improvement  on  the  above ;  by  others  it  is  thought 
to  be  very  similar. 

Of  red  currants,  the  old  Red  Dutch  is  the  most  promi- 
nent. It  is  the  currant  of  memory.  From  it  was  made  the 
wine  which  our  mothers  and  grandmothers  felt  that  they 
could  offer  with  perfect  propriety  to  the  minister.  There 
are  rural  homes  to-day  in  which  the  impression  still  lingers 
that  it  is  a  kind  of  temperance  drink.  From  it  is  usually 
made  the  currant  jelly  without  which  no  lady  would  think 
of  keeping  house  in  the  country.  One  of  the  gravest  ques- 
tions in  domestic  economy  is  whether  the  jelly  will  "  jell." 
Often  it  does  not,  and  cannot  be  made  to.  The  cause  of 
its  lamentable  perversity  is  this  :  The  currants  have  been 
left  until  over-ripe  before  picking,  or  they  have  been  picked 
wet,  just  after  rain.  Gather  them  when  dry,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  after  they  have  turned  red,  and  I  am  informed  by 
the  highest  domestic  authority  (my  wife)  that  there  will  be 
no  difficulty. 

In  flavor,  the  Red  Dutch  is  unequalled  by  any  other  red 
currant.  It  is  also  a  variety  that  can  scarcely  be  killed  by 
abuse  and  neglect,  and  it  responds  so  generously  to  high 
culture  and  rigorous  pruning  that  it  is  an  open  question 
whether  it  cannot  be  made,  after  all,  the  most  profitable  for 
market,  since  it  is  so  much  more  productive  than  the  lar- 
ger varieties,  and  can  be  made  to  approach  them  so  nearly 
in  size.  Indeed,  not  a  few  are  annually  sold  for  Cherry 
currants. 

The  White  Dutch  is  similar  to  the  Red  in  the  growth  and 
character  of  the  bush.  The  clusters,  however,  are  a  little 
shorter,  and  the  fruit  a  little  larger  and  sweeter,  and  is 


268  SUCCESS   WTTff  SMALL  FRUTTS. 

of  a  fine  yellowish-white  color,  with  a  veined,  translucent 
skin. 

The  White  Grape  is  an  advance  in  size  upon  the  last- 
named,  and  of  marvellous  productiveness  and  beauty.  It  is 
not  as  vigorous  as  the  White  Dutch,  and  is  more  spreading 
in  its  mode  of  growth,  requiring  careful  pruning  to  make  a 
shapely  bush.  The  fruit,  also,  is  not  spread  so  evenly  over 
the  wood,  but  is  produced  more  in  bunches.  In  flavor,  it 
is  one  of  the  very  best. 

Dana's  Transparent,  and  other  white  varieties,  do  not  vary 
materially  from  either  the  White  Grape  or  Dutch. 

The  great  market  currant  is  the  Cherry.  In  the  "  Cana- 
dian Horticulturist"  for  September,  1878,  I  find  the  follow- 
ing:— 

•'  The  history  of  this  handsome  currant  is  not  without  inter- 
est. Monsieur  Adrienne  Seneclause,  a  distinguished  horticul- 
turist in  France,  received  it  from  Italy  among  a  lot  of  other 
currants.  He  noticed  the  extraordinary  size  of  the  fruit,  and 
gave  it,  in  consequence,  the  name  it  yet  bears.  In  the  year 
1843  it  was  fruited  in  the  nursery  of  the  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  and  figured  from  these  samples  in  the  '  Annales  de  Flore 
et  de  Pomone'  for  February,  1848.  Dr.  William  W.  Valk,  of 
Flushing,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  introduced  it  to  the  notice  of 
American  fruit  growers  in  1846,  having  imported  some  of  the 
plants  in  the  spring  of  that  year." 

This  variety  is  now  very  widely  disseminated,  and  its  cul- 
ture is  apparently  becoming  increasingly  profitable  every 
year.  Two  essentials  are  requisite  to  success  with  it,  —  high 
manuring  and  skilful  pruning.  It  has  the  tendency  to  pro- 
duce long  branches,  on  which  there  are  but  few  buds.  Rig- 
orous cutting  back,  so  as  to  cause  branching  joints  and  fruit 
spurs,  should  be  practised  annually.  The  foliage  is  strong 
and  coarse,  and  the  fruit  much  more  acid  than  the  Dutch 


VARIETIES.  269 

family;  but  size  and  beauty  carry  the  market,  and  the 
Cherry  can  be  made,  by  high  culture,  very  large  and 
beautiful. 

Versailles,  or  La  Versaillaise,  is  a  figurative  bone  of  con- 
tention. The  horticultural  doctors  disagree  so  decidedly 
that  the  rest  of  us  can,  without  presumption,  think  for  our- 
selves. Mr.  A.  S.  Fuller  has  probably  given  the  subject 
more  attention  than  any  one  else,  and  he  asserts,  without 
any  hesitancy,  that  this  so-called  variety  is  identical  with 
the  Cherry.  Mr.  Fuller  is  certainly  entitled  to  his  opinion, 
for  he  obtained  plants  of  the  Cherry  and  Versailles  from 
all  the  leading  nurserymen  in  America,  and  imported  them 
from  the  standard  nurseries  abroad,  not  only  once,  but  re- 
peatedly, yet  could  never  get  two  distinct  varieties.  The 
writer  in  the  "  Canadian  Horticulturist "  also  states  in  regard 
to  the  Versailles :  "  Some  pains  were  taken  to  obtain  this 
variety  on  different  occasions,  and  from  the  most  reliable 
sources,  so  that  there  might  be  no  mistake  as  to  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  name ;  but  after  many  years  of  trial  we  are 
unable  to  perceive  any  decided  variation,  either  in  the  qual- 
ity of  the  fruit,  the  length  of  the  bunch,  or  the  habit  of  the 
plant,  from  the  Cherry  currant." 

I  must  admit  that  I  am  inclined  to  take  the  same  view ; 
for,  during  several  years,  I  have  looked  in  vain  for  two 
distinct  varieties.  I  have  carefully  kept  the  two  kinds  sep- 
arate, but  find  in  each  case  the  same  stout,  stocky,  short- 
jointed,  erect  shoots  that  are  often  devoid  of  buds,  and  tend 
to  become  naked  with  age,  and  the  same  dark  green,  thick, 
bluntly  and  coarsely  serrated  foliage.  Mr.  Downing  thinks 
the  difference  lies  in  the  fact  that,  while  the  Versailles  strain 
produces  many  short  bunches  like  the  Cherry,  it  also  fre- 
quently bears  clusters,  and  that  such  long,  tapering  clusters 
are  never  formed  on  the  Cherry.  This  is  the  only  differ- 
It— ROE— XVII 


2/0  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

ence,  I  think,  if  any  exists ;  but  in  no  instance  have  I  been 
able  to  find  this  distinction  well  defined  and  sustained  by 
the  bearing  plantations  that  I  have  seen.  Mr.  Downing, 
however,  has  had  tenfold  more  experience  than  I  have,  and 
his  opinions  are  entitled  to  corresponding  weight. 

That  this  class  is  much  inclined  to  "  sport,"  I  think  all 
will  admit.  One  bush  in  a  row  may  be  loaded  with  fruit 
year  after  year,  and  the  next  one  be  comparatively  barren. 
The  clusters  on  one  bush  may  be  short  and  characteristic  of 
the  Cherry,  while  a  neighboring  bush  in  the  same  patch  may 
show  a  tendency  to  mingle  some  long  clusters  with  the  short 
ones ;  and  young  bushes  grown  from  the  same  plant  will 
show  these  variations.  I  am  satisfied  that  distinct  and 
much  improved  strains  could  be  developed  by  propagating 
from  bushes  producing  the  best  and  most  abundant  fruit, 
and  that  a  variety  having  the  characteristics  of  the  Ideal 
Versailles  could  be  developed.  The  importance  of  this 
careful  selection  in  propagation  can  scarcely  be  overesti- 
mated, and  the  fruit  grower  who  followed  it  up  for  a  few 
years  might  almost  double  the  productiveness  and  quality 
of  many  of  his  varieties. 

Victoria  (known  also  as  May's  Victoria,  and  having  a 
half-dozen  other  synonymes)  is  a  distinct  variety,  whose 
great  value  consists  in  its  lengthening  out  the  currant  sea- 
son two  or  three  weeks  after  the  above-named  kinds  have 
matured.  The  fruit  is  also  large, — between  the  Red  Dutch 
and  Cherry  in  size,  —  exceedingly  abundant,  and  although 
rather  acid,  of  good  flavor  when  fully  ripe.  The  clusters 
are  very  long,  —  from  five  to  seven  inches,  —  tapering,  and 
the  berries  are  bright  red.  If  it  is  grown  in  some  moist, 
cool,  half-shady  location,  the  bunches  will  hang  on  the 
bushes  very  late  in  the  season.  In  many  localities  it  is 
found  very  profitable,  since  it  need  not  be  sold  until  the 


VARIETIES.  271 

others  are  out  of  the  market.  The  young  branches  are 
rather  slender,  but  the  plant  itself  is  vigorous,  and  can  be 
grown  at  less  expense  than  the  Cherry. 

There  are  many  other  named  varieties,  but  in  the  major- 
ity of  instances  the  distinctions  between  them  are  slight, 
and  as  they  are  waning  before  the  finer  varieties  that  I  have 
described,  I  shall  not  attempt  to  lighten  the  shadows  that 
are  gathering  around  them.  The  future  promises  more 
than  the  past,  and  I  think  that,  before  many  years  pass, 
some  fine  new  kinds  will  be  introduced. 

The  enemies  and  diseases  of  the  currant  will  be  treated 
in  a  later  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

T  HAVE  treated  the  currant  very  fully,  not  only  because 
•*•  it  is  the  more  popular  fruit  hi  this  country,  but  also  be- 
cause the  greater  part  of  ray  suggestions  under  that  heading 
applies  equally  to  this  branch  of  the  Ribes  tribe.  Possess- 
ing the  same  general  characteristics,  it  should  be  treated  on 
the  same  principles  that  were  seen  to  be  applicable  to  the 
currant.  It  flourishes  best  in  the  same  cool  exposures,  and 
is  the  better  for  partial  shade.  Even  in  the  south  of  Eng- 
land the  more  tender-skinned  varieties  often  scald  in  the 
sun.  However,  I  would  recommend  the  shade  of  a  fence 
or  a  northern  hillside,  rather  than  overhanging  branches  of 
trees.  A  rich  soil,  especially  one  that  is  deep  and  moist 
but  not  wet,  is  equally  requisite,  and  the  rigorous  annual 
pruning  is  even  more  essential.  As  the  wood  becomes  old 
and  black,  it  should  be  cut  out  altogether.  Fruit  buds  and 
spurs  are  produced  on  wood  two  or  more  years  old,  and 
cutting  back  causes  these,  but  they  must  not  be  allowed  to 
become  too  crowded.  To  no  fruit  are  air  and  light  more 
essential. 

We  have  in  this  country  two  very  distinct  classes  of  goose- 
berries, —  the  first  of  foreign  origin,  and  the  second  consist- 
ing of  our  native  species.  Gray  thus  describes  Ribes 
grossularia,  garden  or  English  gooseberry :  "  Cultivated 
from  Europe  for  the  well-known  fruit ;  thorny  and  prickly, 
with  small,  obtuse,  three  to  five  lobed  leaves,  green  flowers, 


GOOSEBERRIES.  2/3 

one  to  three  on  short  pedicels,  bell-shaped  calyx,  and  large 
berry." 

This  native  of  northern  Europe  and  the  forests  of  the 
British  Islands  has  been  developed  into  the  superb  varieties 
which  have  been  famous  so  long  in  England,  but  which  we 
are  able  to  grow  with  very  partial  success.  It  remembers 
its  birthplace  even  more  strongly  than  the  currant,  and  the 
almost  invariable  mildew  of  our  gardens  is  the  sign  of  its 
homesickness.  The  cool,  moist  climate  of  England  just 
suits  it,  and  it  is  the  pride  of  the  gardens  of  Lancashire  to 
surpass  the  world  in  the  development  of  large  specimens. 
Mr.  Downing  writes  :  — 

"We  are  indebted  to  the  Lancashire  weavers,  who  seem  to 
have  taken  it  up  as  a  hobby,  for  nearly  all  the  surprisingly  large 
sorts  of  modern  date.  Their  annual  shows  exhibit  this  fruit  in 
its  greatest  perfection,  and  a  gooseberry  book  is  published  in 
Manchester  every  year,  giving  a  list  of  all  the  prize  sorts,  etc." 

The  extraordinary  pains  taken  is  suggested  by  the  follow- 
ing quotation  from  the  "  Encyclopaedia  of  Gardening  "  :  — 

"  To  effect  this  increased  size,  every  stimulant  is  applied  that 
their  ingenuity  can  suggest.  They  not  only  annually  manure 
the  soil  richly,  but  also  surround  the  plants  with  trenches  of 
manure  for  the  extremities  of  the  roots  to  strike  into,  and  form 
round  the  stem  of  each  plant  a  basin,  to  be  mulched,  or  ma- 
nured, or  watered,  as  may  become  necessary.  When  a  root 
has  extended  too  far  from  the  stem,  it  is  uncovered,  and  all  the 
strongest  leaders  are  shortened  back  nearly  one-half  of  their 
length,  and  covered  with  fresh,  marly  loam,  well  manured.  The 
effect  of  this  pruning  is  to  increase  the  number  of  fibres  and 
spongioles,  which  form  rapidly  on  the  shortened  roots,  and 
strike  out  in  all  directions  among  the  fresh,  newly  stirred  loam, 
in  search  of  nutriment." 

This  is  carrying  culture  to  an  extreme  rarely,  if  ever,  seen 
in  America.  The  annual  referred  to  above  recorded  one 


274  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

hundred  and  fifty-five  gooseberry  exhibitions  in  1863.  The 
number  of  varieties  is  almost  endless,  and  more  than  seven 
hundred  prize  sorts  are  named  in  Lindley's  "  Guide  to  the 
Orchard ;  "  but  not  one  of  them,  I  fear,  can  be  giown  in 
this  country,  except  under  favorable  conditions  and  with 
extra  care.  Even  after  supplying  such  conditions,  they  will 
often  mildew  in  spite  of  our  best  efforts.  Again,  in  some 
localities,  and  for  obscure  causes,  they  will  thrive  and  con- 
tinue for  years  quite  free  from  this  chief  enemy  of  the  for- 
eign gooseberry.  Repeated  applications  of  the  flowers  of 
sulphur  over  the  bushes,  from  the  time  the  fruit  sets  until 
it  is  ripe,  are  probably  the  best  preventive.  Thorough 
mulching,  rigorous  pruning,  and  high  culture  are  also  to  be 
recommended.  Those  who  garden  for  pleasure  would  do 
well  to  try  some  of  these  fine  foreigners. 

The  following  are  some  that  Mr.  Downing  and  others 
have  recommended :  — 

I.    Red  Varieties :   British    Crown,  Top  Sawyer,    Roaring 
Lion,  Lancashire   Lad,   Crown  Bob. 

II.  White:  Cheshire  Lass,  White  Lion,  Whitesmith,  White 
Honey. 

III.  Green :  Laurel,  Heart  of  Oak,  Jolly  Angler,  Jolly  Tar. 

IV.  Yellow :   Golden  Fleece,  Bunker  Hill,  Conqueror,  etc. 

If  but  two  or  three  foreign  berries  are  to  be  chosen,  I 
would  recommend  Crown  Bob,  Roaring  Lion,  and  White- 
smith. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  seedlings  of  these  foreign  varieties 
have  the  same  tendency  to  mildew  shown  by  their  parents. 
The  Late  Emerald  was  originated  in  the  old  garden  at 
Newburgh,  and  is  a  sad  example  of  this  fact.  For  many 
years  it  thrived  in  its  birthplace  without  a  trace  of  mildew, 
but  on  my  own  place  it  has  behaved  so  badly  that  I  do  not 


GOOSEBERRIES.  2/5 

recommend  it.  Were  it  not  for  this  fault,  I  should  grow- 
no  other  variety. 

In  view  of  this  inveterate  evil,  mildew,  which  is  so  seldom 
escaped  and  so  difficult  to  overcome,  we  must  turn  to  the 
second  great  class,  our  native  species,  since  they  are  adapted 
to  our  climate.  Of  these  there  are  several  species,  of  which 
the  following  are  the  most  prominent :  — 

Ribes  speciosum,  showy,  flowering  gooseberry  of  Califor- 
nia, cultivated  for  ornament,  especially  in  England,  and 
likely  to  succeed  in  the  southern  Middle  States.  It  is 
trained  like  a  climber ;  has  small,  shining  leaves,  very  hand- 
some flowers  resembling  those  of  a  fuchsia,  berry  prickly, 
and  few-seeded. 

R.  rotundifolium,  more  common  in  the  West,  is  often 
downy-leaved ;  peduncles  slender ;  the  slender  stamens 
and  two- parted  style  longer  than  the  narrow  calyx;  berry 
smooth. 

R.  cynosbati  is  found  in  the  rocky  woods  of  the  North, 
is  downy-leaved,  with  slender  peduncle,  stamens  and  undi- 
vided style  not  exceeding  the  broad  calyx;  large  berry, 
usually  prickly. 

R.  lacustre,  Lake  or  Swamp  Gooseberry,  with  the  prickly 
stems  of  the  gooseberry,  but  with  a  raceme  of  flowers  like 
those  of  a  currant ;  found  in  the  cold  bogs  and  wet  woods 
of  the  North ;  small,  bristly  berries,  of  unpleasant  flavor. 

Last,  but  by  no  means  the  least,  is  the  Ribes  hirtellum, 
"commonest  in  our  Eastern  States,  seldom  downy,  with 
very  short  thorns  or  none,  very  short  peduncles,  stamens 
and  two-cleft  style  scarcely  longer  than  the  bell-shaped 
calyx ;  and  the  smooth  berry  is  purple,  small  and  sweet." 
(Gray.)  This  is  the  parent  of  the  most  widely  known  of 
our  native  varieties,  the  Houghton  Seedling,  named  from  its 
originator,  Abel  Houghton,  of  Lynn,  Massachusetts.  The 


276  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS, 

bush  is  a  vigorous  grower,  that  will  thrive,  with  decent  cul- 
ture, on  any  moderately  good  soil,  and  is  very  rarely  injured 
by  mildew.  At  the  same  time  it  improves  greatly  under 
high  culture  and  pruning.  The  bush  has  a  slender  and  even 
weeping  habit  of  growth,  and  can  be  propagated  readily  by 
cuttings.  From  the  Houghton  have  been  grown  two  seed- 
lings that  now  are  justly  the  most  popular. 

The  first  and  best  of  these  is  the  Downing,  originated  by 
Mr.  Charles  Downing  of  Newburgh.  It  is  an  "  upright, 
vigorous-growing  plant,  very  productive.  Fruit  somewhat 
larger  than  the  Houghton,  roundish-oval,  whitish-green,  with 
the  rib  veins  distinct.  Skin  smooth.  Flesh  rather  soft, 
juicy."  I  consider  this  the  best  and  most  profitable  variety 
that  can  be  generally  grown  in  this  country.  In  flavor,  it 
is  excellent.  I  have  had  good  success  with  it  whenever 
I  have  given  it  fair  culture.  It  does  not  propagate 
readily  from  cuttings,  and  therefore  I  increase  it  usually  by 
layering. 

The  second  seedling  is  Smith's  Improved,  a  comparatively 
new  variety  that  is  winning  favor.  It  more  closely  resembles 
the  Houghton  in  its  habit  of  growth  than  the  Downing,  and 
yet  is  more  vigorous  and  upright  than  its  parent.  The  fruit 
is  considerably  larger  than  the  Houghton,  oval,  light  green, 
with  a  bloom,  moderately  firm,  sweet  and  good. 

Mountain  Seedling,  originating  with  the  Shakers  at  Leba- 
non, New  York,  is  the  largest  of  the  American  varieties,  but 
for  some  reason  it  does  not  gain  in  popularity. 

Cluster,  or  American  Red,  is  a  variety  of  unknown  origin. 
The  ancestral  bush  may  have  been  found  in  the  woods. 
The  fruit  is  scarcely  as  large  as  that  of  the  Houghton,  is 
darker  in  color  when  fully  ripe,  hangs  long  on  the  bush,  and 
is  sweet  and  good.  Mr.  P.  Barry  says  that  it  never  mildews. 
Therefore,  it  should  be  made  one  of  the  parents  of  new 


GOOSEBERRIES.  277 

varieties,  for  in  this  direction  lies  the  future  of  this  fruit  in 
America. 

In  support  of  this  opinion,  I  am  led  to  quote  the  following 
letter,  recently  received  :  — 

"  I  write  to  call  your  attention  to  a  native  variety  of  goose- 
berry, of  which  you  make  no  mention  in  your  '  Scribner 
Papers,'  growing  in  great  abundance  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  at 
an  elevation  of  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet,  often  in  the  most  ex- 
posed places,  generally  on  northern  slopes.  Thinking  it  may 
not  have  come  to  your  knowledge,  I  will  describe  it.  The  bush 
is  of  stiff,  erect  habit,  two  to  three  feet  high,  a  stocky  grower 
and  an  abundant  bearer.  The  berries  vary  from  one-half  to  one 
and  one-quarter  inches  in  diameter,  are  covered  with  innumera- 
ble thorns,  scarcely  less  savage  in  the  green  state  than  those  on 
an  ordinary  wild  bush  of  this  country.  When  cooked,  the  prickles 
soften  down  to  the  same  consistence  as  the  skin,  which  is  rather 
thick.  When  ripe,  they  are  easily  peeled,  and  well  repay  the 
trouble,  the  spines  being  then  much  less  obdurate  than  when 
green.  The  mature  fruit  is  of  a  deep,  dull,  coppery  red  color, 
and  in  flavor  is  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  any  of  the  red  varieties 
which  I  have  eaten  in  England.  I  have  often  wondered' whether 
cultivation  might  not  remove  the  spines  from  the  berries,  or,  that 
failing,  whether  a  seedling  could  not  be  raised  from  them  which 
would  give  us  a  berry  far  more  reliable  than  any  good  goose- 
berry we  now  have.  The  scorching  sun  of  the  long,  dry  season 
of  California  seemed  to  have  no  effect  on  the  foliage,  and  in 
five  years'  experience  I  never  found  a  mildewed  berry. 

"  The  berry  is  round,  like  the  red  English  berries,  instead  of 
ellipsoid,  like  their  white  or  golden  ones. 

"  There  is  also  another  variety,  hairy  instead  of  spiny,  about 
the  size  of  your  picture  of  the  Downing  ;  bush  not  so  free  a 
grower,  rarely  reaching  two  feet,  and  the  berry,  to  my  taste, 
much  inferior.  Tastes,  however,  differ,  and  it  may  be  the 
more  promising  fruit. 

"  Both  varieties  are  common  throughout  the  eastern  end  oi 
£1  Dorado,  Placer,  and  Nevada  counties." 


278  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

The  first-named,  or  thorny  gooseberry,  probably  belongs 
to  the  Ribes  cynosbati,  and  the  latter  to  the  R.  rotundifo- 
Hum.  The  writer  is  correct  in  thinking  that,  if  such  goose- 
berries are  growing  wild,  cultivation  and  selection  could  se- 
cure vast  improvements.  When  we  remember  that  English 
gardeners  started  with  a  native  species  inferior  to  ours, 
we  are  led  to  believe  that  effort  and  skill  like  theirs  will 
here  be  rewarded  by  kinds  as  superb,  and  as  perfectly 
adapted  to  our  climate. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

DISEASES   AND   INSECT    ENEMIES   OF   SMALL   FRUITS. 

"VTATURE  is  very  impartial.  It  is  evidently  her  interi* 
tion  that  we  shall  enjoy  all  the  fruits  for  which  we  are 
willing  to  pay  her  price,  in  work,  care,  or  skill ;  but  she 
seems  equally  bent  on  supplying  the  hateful  white  grub  with 
strawberry  roots,  and  currant  worms  with  succulent  foliage. 
Indeed,  it  might  even  appear  that  she  had  a  leaning  toward 
her  small  children,  no  matter  how  pestiferous  they  are. 
At  any  rate,  under  the  present  order  of  things,  lordly  man 
is  often  their  servant,  and  they  reap  the  reward  of  his 
labors. 

Did  not  Nature  stumble  a  little  when  man  fell?  She 
manages  to  keep  on  the  right  side  of  the  poets  and  painters ; 
for  it  would  seem  that  they  see  her  only  when  in  moods 
that  are  smiling,  serious,  or  grand.  The  scientist,  too,  she 
beguiles,  by  showing  under  the  microscope  how  exquisitely 
she  has  fashioned  some  little  embodiment  of  evil  that  may 
be  the  terror  of  a  province,  or  the  scourge  of  a  continent. 
While  the  learned  man  is  explaining  how  wonderfully  its 
minute  organs  are  formed,  for  mastication,  assimilation,  pro- 
creation, etc.,  practical  people,  who  have  their  bread  to  earn, 
are  impatiently  wishing  that  the  whole  genus  was  under  their 
heels,  confident  that  the  organs  would  become  still  more 
minute. 

The  horticulturist  should  be  cast  in  heroic  mold,  for  he 
not  only  must  bear  his  part  in  the  fight  with  moral  wrong, 


28O  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

like  other  men,  but  must  also  cope  with  vegetable  and  in- 
sect evil.  Weeds,  bugs,  worms,  what  hateful  little  vices 
many  of  them  seem  in  nature  !  I  do  not  wish  to  be 
thought  indiscriminate.  Many  insects  are  harmless  and 
beautiful ;  and,  if  harmless,  no  one  can  object  if  they  are 
not  pretty.  Not  a  few  are  very  useful,  as,  for  instance,  the 
little  parasite  of  the  cabbage  worm.  There  is  need  of  a 
general  and  unremitting  crusade  against  our  insect  enemies ; 
but  it  should  be  a  discriminating  war,  for  it  is  downright 
cruelty  to  kill  a  harmless  creature,  however  small.  Still, 
there  are  many  pests  that,  like  certain  forms  of  evil,  will 
destroy  if  not  destroyed  ;  and  they  have  brought  disaster  and 
financial  ruin  to  multitudes. 

Mark  Tapley  hit  upon  the  true  philosophy  of  life,  and  it 
is  usually  possible  to  take  a  cheerful  view  of  everything; 
such  a  view  I  suggest  to  the  reader,  in  regard  to  the  pests 
of  the  garden  that  often  lead  us  into  sympathy  with  the  man 
who  wished  that  there  was  "  a  form  of  sound  words  in  the 
Prayer- Book  which  might  be  used  in  cases  of  great  provoca- 
tion." Under  the  present  order  of  things,  skill,  industry, 
and  prompt,  vigilant  action  are  rewarded.  Humanity's  be- 
setting sin  is  laziness ;  but  weeds  and  insects  for  months 
together  make  this  vice  wellnigh  impossible,  save  to  those 
who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  live  on  the  industry  of  others. 
Therefore,  though  our  fruits  often  suffer,  men  are  developed, 
and  made  more  patient,  energetic,  resolute,  persevering,  — 
in  brief,  more  manly.  Put  the  average  man  into  a  garden 
where  there  were  no  vegetable  diseases,  insects,  and  weeds 
to  cope  with,  and  he  himself  would  become  a  weed.  More- 
over, it  would  seem  that  in  those  regions  where  Nature 
hinders  men  as  much  as  she  helps  them,  they  are  all  the 
better  for  their  difficulties,  and  their  gardens  also.  Such 
skill  and  energy  are  developed  that  not  only  are  the  horti- 


DISEASES  AND  INSECT  ENEMIES.  28 1 

cultural  enemies  vanquished,  but  they  are  often  made  the 
means  of  a  richer  and  a  fuller  success. 

In  a  valuable  paper  read  before  the  New  Jersey  State 
Horticultural  Society,  and  recently  published  in  the  "  Amerir- 
can  Entomologist,"  Mr.  A.  S.  Fuller  makes  the  following 
useful  suggestions :  — 

"  Insects  and  diseases  are  frequently  so  closely  united,  or  so 
dependent  upon  each  other,  that  the  naturalist  often  finds  it 
difficult  to  determine  to  which  the  fruit  grower  should  attribute 
his  losses.  Some  species  of  insects  attack  only  diseased  or 
dead  plants ;  others  only  the  living  and  healthy.  If  a  plant 
shows  signs  of  failing,  we  are  inclined  to  speak  of  it  as  being 
diseased,  whether  the  failure  is  caused  by  a  lack  of  some  ele- 
ment in  the  soil,  attacks  of  parasitic  fungi,  or  noxious  insects. 
The  loss  is  the  same  in  the  end,  whether  from  one  or  all  of  these 
enemies  combined. 

"  There  are  two  practical  methods  of  combating  insect  ene- 
mies and  diseases  of  plants  ;  one  is  to  so  carefully  cultivate  and 
stimulate  the  growth  of  the  plants  that  they  may  possess  the 
power  of  resisting  attack  ;  the  other  is  to  make  war  directly  up- 
on them  by  artificial  means.  Of  course,  the  first  method  is 
most  applicable  or  practicable  against  the  more  minute  species, 
such  as  the  plant-lice,  rust,  smut,  and  mildew.  I  do  not  recom- 
mend forcing  plants  to  extremes,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  re- 
sist their  enemies,  as  this  might  work  an  irreparable  injury  ; 
but  the  condition  to  be  aimed  at  should  be  a  healthy,  vigorous 
growth  ;  for  anything  beyond  this  is  more  the  sign  of  weakness 
than  strength. 

"  The  half-starved,  overworked  and  uncared-for  horse  is  sure, 
sooner  or  later,  to  become  the  prey  of  various  kinds  of  internal 
and  external  parasites,  which  are  thrown  off,  or  successfully 
resisted  in  their  attacks,  by  the  healthy,  vigorous,  and  well-fed 
animal  ;  and  the  same  principle  holds  good  all  through  the  ani- 
mal and  vegetable  kingdoms,  —  whether  the  subject  be  a  man, 
horse,  sturdy  oak,  or  delicate  strawberry  plant.  Not  that  all 
diseases  are  due  to  loss  of  vigor  through  starvation  and  neglect ; 
but  that  a  large  number  of  them  are  is  well  known." 


282  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

STRAWBERRIES. 

We  all  have  seen  these  principles  verified.  In  the  Great 
American  strawberry,  I  think,  we  have  an  example  of  feeble- 
ness resulting  from  over-stimulation.  The  Wilson  Seedling, 
that,  in  the  local  vernacular,  is  sometimes  said  to  be  "  run- 
ning out,"  is,  in  contrast,  the  consequence  of  starvation, 
neglect,  and  long-continued  propagation  from  poor,  mixed 
stock.  Feebleness  can  scarcely  be  called  a  disease,  and  yet 
it  is  best  counteracted  by  the  tonic  treatment  suggested  by 
Mr.  Fuller. 

In  loose,  light  soils,  the  Aphis,  or  Green  Fly,  often  pene- 
trates to  the  roots  of  strawberry  plants  in  immense  numbers, 
and  they  suck  away  life  or  vitality.  The  tonic  of  wood- 
ashes  scattered  over  the  rows  will  usually  destroy  the  pests. 
Refuse  from  the  tobacco  factory  is  also  recommended. 

I  think  that  wood-ashes  and  bone-dust  are  excellent  pre- 
ventives of  burning  or  sun-scalding.  They  give  the  plants 
such  vigor  that  they  are  able  to  resist  sudden  or  great 
climatic  changes,  from  heat  to  cold,  or  from  drought  to 
moisture. 

Many  varieties  are  enfeebled  by  their  disposition  to  run 
profusely.  Kerr's  Prolific,  for  example,  will  speedily  sod 
the  ground  with  small,  puny  plants,  whose  foliage  will  burn 
so  badly  that  the  fruit  can  scarcely  mature.  Set  out  these 
small  plants,  and  give  the  tonic  treatment  of  cutting  off  all 
runners,  and  large,  bushy  s  cools,  with  vigorous  foliage  and 
superb  fruit,  will  result.  Indeed,  next  to  fertilizers  and 
moisture,  there  is  nothing  that  so  enhances  the  vigor  and 
productiveness  of  a  plant  as  clipping  the  runners  as  fast  as 
they  appear.  The  uncurbed  habit  of  running  depletes 
almost  like  disease ;  and  but  few  varieties  will  make  large 
fruit  buds  and  runners  at  the  same  time. 


DISEASES  AND  INSECT  ENEMIES.  283 

In  close,  wet  weather,  the  fruit  and  leaf  stalks  will  some- 
times surfer  from  mildew;  and  occasionally  a  microscopic 
fungus,  known  as  the  strawberry  brand,  will  attack  the  foliage, 
I  have  also  seen,  in  a  few  instances,  a  disease  that  resembled 
the  curl-leaf  in  raspberries.  The  plants  were  dwarfed,  foli- 
age wrinkled  and  rusty,  and  fruit  misshapen,  like  small, 
gnarly  apples.  In  all  such  instances  I  believe  in  tonic  treat- 
ment, of  wood-ashes,  bone-dust,  guano,  and  fertilizers  of 
like  nature,  used  with  care.  Plants  do  not  need  over-doses 
or  over-feeding  any  more  than  we  do  ourselves.  When  a 
few  plants  are  diseased,  I  believe  in  rigorously  rooting  them 
out  and  burning  them.  If  a  field  is  affected,  as  soon  as 
possible  turn  the  plants  under,  and  renovate  the  land  with 
clover,  buckwheat,  a  light  dressing  of  lime,  and  thorough 
exposure  to  the  air,  light,  and  frost.  By  such  methods,  and 
a  wise  selection  of  fertilizers,  I  believe  that  strawberries  can 
be  raised  on  the  same  ground  for  centuries.  My  plants 
have  always  been  exceptionally  free  from  all  kinds  of  disease 
or  rust,  and  I  attribute  it  to  the  liberal  use  of  wood-ashes. 

But  there  is  one  enemy  that  inspires  me  with  fear  and 
unmingled  disgust.  It  is  the  type  of  a  certain  phase  of 
character  in  society  most  difficult  to  deal  with,  and  which 
the  mantle  of  charity  is  rarely  broad  enough  to  cover,  —  the 
stupidly  and  stolidly  malignant,  who  have  just  sense  enough 
to  do  a  great  deal  of  mischief,  and  to  keep  it  hidden  until 
too  late  for  remedy.  Science  has  dignified  the  detestable 
thing  with  a  sonorous  name,  as  usual,  —  the  Lachnosterna 
fusca,  already  referred  to.  It  does  not  deserve  even  its 
name  in  the  common  vernacular,  —  White  Grub ;  for  its  white 
is  of  a  dingy  hue,  and  its  head  dark,  like  its  deeds.  Has  it 
a  redeeming  trait?  "  Give  the  de'il  his  due,"  says  the  pro- 
verb. The  best  I  can  say  of  the  white  grub  is  that  crows, 
and  an  odorous  animal  I  forbear  to  name,  are  very  fond  of 


284  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

it.  This  fact,  I  think,  is  its  sole  virtue,  its  one  entry  on  the 
credit  side ;  but  there  is  a  long,  dark  score  against  it.  Of 
its  havoc  on  the  lawn  and  farm  I  will  not  speak,  since  it  is 
sufficient  for  our  purposes  to  state  that  it  is  the  strawberry's 
worst  foe. 

The  best  method  of  circumventing  the  "  varmint  "  is  to 
learn  its  ways ;  and  therefore  I  shall  outline  its  history, 
beginning  at  a  period  in  its  being  when  stupidity  predomi- 
nates over  its  evil,  —  that  is,  when  it  is  the  May  beetle  or 
June  bug,  that  blunders  and  bumps  around  in  utter  disre- 
gard of  itself  and  every  one  else.  In  this  stage  it  is  like  the 
awkward  village  loafer,  quiet  by  day,  but  active  and  obtru- 
sive in  the  early  evening.  It  dislikes  honest  sunshine,  but 
is  attracted  by  artificial  light,  at  which  it  precipitates  itself 
with  the  same  lack  of  sense  and  reason  that  marks  the 
loafer's  gravitation  toward  a  lighted  groggery.  Moreover,  in 
the  beetle  phase,  it  is  sure  to  appear  at  the  most  inoppor- 
tune times  and  unsuitable  places,  creating  the  inevitable 
commotion  which  the  blunderer  and  tactless  are  born  to 
make.  As  it  whisks  aimlessly  around,  it  may  hit  the  clergy- 
man's nose  in  the  most  pathetic  sentence  of  his  sermon,  or 
drop  into  the  soprano's  mouth  at  the  supreme  climax  of  her 
trill.  Satan  himself  could  scarcely  produce  a  more  complete 
absence  of  devotion  than  is  often  caused  by  these  brainless 
creatures. 

Because  quiet  by  day,  they  are  not  out  of  mischief,  as  de- 
foliated trees  often  prove.  As  midsummer  approaches,  they 
die  off;  but  never  until  each  female  beetle  has  put  into  the 
ground  about  two  hundred  eggs,  which  never  fail  to  hatch. 
The  first  year,  the  grubs  are  little,  and,  while  they  do  all 
the  harm  they  can,  the  small  roots  they  destroy  are  not  se- 
riously missed  by  the  plants.  The  second  year,  their  ability 
keeps  pace  with  their  disposition,  and  they  occasionally 


REMEDIES.  285 

destroy  strawberries  by  the  acre.  More  often,  certain 
patches  of  a  field  or  garden  are  infested,  and  sometimes  will 
be  kept  bare  of  plants  in  spite  of  all  one  can  do.  Too 
often,  the  presence  of  the  grub  is  learned  only  after  the 
mischief  is  complete.  You  may  have  petted  a  strawberry 
plant  for  a  year,  and  after  it  has  developed  into  noble  pro- 
portions, and  awakened  the  best  expectations  from  its  load 
of  immature  fruit,  you  will,  perhaps,  find  it  wilting  some 
morning.  You  then  learn,  for  the  first  time,  that  this  insidi- 
ous enemy  has  been  at  work  for  days,  and  that  not  a  root 
is  left.  An  inch  or  two  beneath  the  dying  plant,  the  grub 
lies  gorged  and  quiet  in  the  early  morning ;  but  if  undis- 
turbed it  soon  seeks  the  next-best  plant  it  can  find,  and  it 
is  so  voracious  that  it  is  hard  to  compute  the  number  it  can 
destroy  throughout  the  long  season  in  which  it  works. 

Having  made  its  full  growth  in  the  spring  of  the  third 
year,  this  grub  passes  into  the  chrysalis  state,  and  in  May  or 
June  comes  out  a  perfect  insect  or  beetle.  It  is  "  one,  two, 
three,  and  out." 

While  there  are  beetles  every  year,  there  is,  in  every  lo- 
cality, a  special  crop  every  third  year;  in  other  words,  if 
we  observe  beetles  in  great  numbers  during  the  coming  May 
and  June,  we  may  expect  them  again  in  like  quantities  three 
years  after;  and  every  second  year  from  such  superabun- 
dance they  will  be  very  destructive  in  all  those  fields  through- 
out the  locality  wherein  the  eggs  were  laid. 

REMEDIES. 

When  once  our  soil  is  full  of  them,  scarcely  any  remedy 
Is  possible  that  year.  Surface  applications  that  would  kill 
the  grubs  would  also  kill  the  plants.  Where  they  are  few 
and  scattering,  they  can  be  dug  out  and  killed.  Sometimes 


286  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

boys  are  paid  so  much  a  pint.  When  seeing  a  wilting  plant, 
it  would  scarcely  be  human  nature  not  to  dig  out  the  pest 
and  grind  it  under  our  heel.  Prevention  of  the  evil  is  usu- 
ally our  best  hope.  Mr.  Downing  writes  to  me  :  "  I  believe 
that  if  you  would  use  refuse  salt  three  or  four  years  in  suc- 
cession, at  the  rate  of  five  or  six  bushels  to  the  acre,  the 
grubs  would  not  trouble  you  much.  Salt  will  not  kill  the 
full-grown  larvae,  but  those  in  a  very  young  state."  The 
reader  will  remember  a  statement  in  Mr.  Hale's  letter  on 
commercial  fertilizers  confirmatory  of  this  view. 

Experiments  in  this  direction  should  be  carefully  made, 
since,  in  one  instance  that  I  am  aware  of,  a  fruit  grower  re- 
marked, "  I  do  not  know  whether  the  salt  killed  the  grubs, 
but  I  know  it  killed  my  plants."  It  is  my  purpose,  how- 
ever, to  try  this  agent  very  thoroughly.  There  is  danger  of 
our  being  misled  in  our  estimate  of  the  value  of  remedies, 
from  forgetfulness  of  the  habits  of  the  insect.  We  find  our 
ground  full  of  larvae  one  year,  and  apply  some  cure  or  pre- 
ventive. The  following  spring,  the  larvae  become  beetles 
and  fly  away,  and,  even  if  they  fill  the  same  ground  with 
eggs  again,  the  grubs  are  too  small  to  be  noticed  that  year ; 
and  therefore  we  may  claim  that  our  remedy  is  effectual, 
when  there  may  have  been  no  effect  from  it  whatever. 

One  of  the  best  preventives  is  to  keep  the  soil  under  cul- 
tivation, for  this  beetle  rarely  lays  its  eggs  in  loose  soil,  pre- 
ferring old  meadows  and  moist,  loamy,  sodded  land  ;  the 
larvae  are  equally  fond  of  grass  roots.  This  is  one  of  the 
reasons  why  a  year  or  two  of  cultivation  must  often  precede 
the  planting  of  strawberries.  When  this  fruit  is  grown  in 
matted  beds,  they  afford  as  attractive  a  place  for  the  de- 
posit of  eggs  as  grass  land  ;  and  this  is  another  fact  in  favor 
of  the  narrow-row  system  and  thorough  cultivation. 

Mr.  Caywood,  a  nurseryman,  says  that  he  has  prevented 


REMEDIES.  287 

the  approach  of  the  grub  by  mixing  a  tea-spoonful  of  sul- 
phur in  the  soil  just  beneath  a  plant,  when  setting  it  out. 
Mr.  Peter  B.  Mead  recommends  the  pomace  of  the  castor 
bean  spread  on  the  surface  around  the  plants.  I  have  never 
tried  these  preventives.  One  thing  certainly  might  be  done  ; 
exterminating  war  might  be  waged  on  the  beetles.  In 
the  morning  they  are  sluggish  and  easily  caught;  and  in 
the  evening  we  can  treat  them  as  whiskey  venders  do  the 
loafers,  —  burn  them  up.  "  Every  female  beetle  killed  heads 
off  200  grubs."  If  one  could  discover  a  complete  remedy 
for  this  pest,  he  would  deserve  a  statue  in  bronze.  Mr. 
Fuller  had  a  domesticated  crow  that  would  eat  a  hundred 
of  these  grubs  daily.  "When  domesticated,"  he  adds,  "  the 
crow  forgets  the  tricks  of  his  wild  nature,  and,  not  being  a 
timid  bird,  he  is  not  frightened  by  hoe  or  spade,  but  when 
the  earth  is  turned  over,  is  generally  there  to  see  and  do  his 
duty." 

A  fruit  grower  writes  to  Professor  C.  V.  Riley  :  "  I  inclose 
specimens  of  a  terrible  pest  on  my  strawberry  vines.  The 
leaves  are  almost  entirely  destroyed.  I  must  fight  them 
some  way,  or  else  give  up  the  fruit  entirely,"  etc.  In  a  let- 
ter to  the  "  New  York  Tribune,"  Professor  Riley  replied  : 

"  The  insect  referred  to  is  the  Strawberry  Worm  (Emphyt*s 
maculatus),  the  larva  of  a  saw-fly,  which  is  of  quite  frequent 
occurrence  in  the  West.  I  quote  the  following  account  of  it 
from  my  Ninth  Report :  — 

" '  Early  in  the  spring  numerous  flies  may  be  seen  hanging 
to  and  flying  about  the  vines  in  fields  which  have  been  previ- 
ously affected.  They  are  dull  and  inactive  in  the  cool  of  the 
morning  and  evening,  and  at  these  hours  are  seldom  noticed. 
They  are  of  a  pitchy  black  color,  with  two  rows  of  large,  trans- 
verse, dull,  whitish  spots  upon  the  abdomen.  The  female,  with 
the  saw-like  instrument  peculiar  to  the  insects  of  this  family, 
deposits  her  eggs,  by  a  most  curious  and  interesting  process,  in 


288  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

the  stems  of  the  plants,  clinging  the  while  to  the  hairy  sab- 
stance  by  which  these  stems  are  covered. 

" '  The  eggs  are  white,  opaque,  and  0.03  of  an  inch  long,  and 
may  be  readily  perceived  upon  splitting  the  stalk,  though  the 
outside  orifice  at  which  they  were  introduced  is  scarcely  visi- 
ble. They  soon  increase  somewhat  in  bulk,  causing  a  swelling 
of  the  st«Jk,  and  hatch  in  two  weeks,  — more  or  less,  according 
to  the  temperature  ;  and  during  the  early  part  of  May  the 
worms  attract  attention  by  the  innumerable  small  holes  they 
make  in  the  leaves.  Their  colors  are  dirty  yellow  and  gray- 
green,  and  when  not  feeding,  they  rest  on  the  under  side  of  the 
leaf,  curled  up  in  a  spiral  manner,  the  tail  occupying  the  centre, 
and  fall  to  the  ground  at  the  slightest  disturbance.  After  chang- 
ing their  skin  four  times  they  become  fully  grown,  when  they 
measure  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch. 

"'At  this  season  they  descend  into  the  ground,  and  form  a 
weak  cocoon  of  earth,  the  inside  being  made  smooth  by  a  sort 
of  gum.  In  this  they  soon  change  to  pupas,  from  which  are  pro- 
duced a  second  breed  of  flies  by  the  end  of  June  and  beginning 
of  July,  Under  the  influence  of  July  weather,  the  whole  pro- 
cess of  egg  depositing,  etc.,  is  rapidly  repeated,  and  the  second 
brood  of  worms  descend  into  the  earth  during  the  fore  part  of 
August,  and  form  their  cocoons ;  in  which  they  remain  in  the 
caterpillar  state  through  the  fall,  winter,  and  early  spring  months, 
till  the  middle  of  April  following,  when  they  become  pupae  and 
flies  again,  as  related. 

"  '  The  remedy  is  the  same  as  that  employed  against  the  cur- 
rant worm,  which  belongs  to  the  same  family.  It  consists  of 
white  hellebore,  used  either  in  powder  or  liquid.'" 

I  think  that  tobacco  dust  or  a  strong  decoction  from  the 
stems  would  prove  effective,  also. 

I  have  never  had  any  experience  with  this  worm,  but  have 
read  of  instances  in  which  fields  had  been  entirely  cleared 
of  the  pest  by  young  chickens  and  turkeys. 

The  common  little  flea-beetle  has  often  caused  great  in- 
jury to  my  recently  planted  beds.  I  once  paid  nearly  $100 


RASPBERRIES  AND  BLACKBERRIES.  289 

for  a  new,  high-priced  variety,  and  before  I  was  aware  of  it 
every  plant  had  been  devoured.  They  rarely  injure  large, 
folly  matured  plants,  but  are  often  very  destructive  to  those 
recently  planted,  especially  if  set  during  the  summer.  You 
cannot  catch  them  ;  for,  as  your  hand  approaches  a  leaf  on 
which  they  cluster,  they  scatter  with  a  sudden  bound,  and 
are  at  once  lost  to  view,  so  nearly  do  they  resemble  the 
color  of  the  ground.  Slight  dustings  of  dry  wood-ashes 
impede  their  feeding  somewhat ;  but  I  think  we  must  cope 
with  this  insect  as  we  do  with  the  Colorado  or  potato  bee- 
tle. It  must  be  poisoned.  Paris  green,  of  course,  will  fin- 
ish them  speedily,  but  such  a  deadly  poison  must  be  used 
with  great  care,  and  if  there  is  any  green  or  ripe  fruit  on 
the  vines,  not  used  at  all.  Hellebore,  London  purple,  to- 
bacco dust,  may  destroy  them  ;  and  when  little  chickens  can 
be  employed,  they  are  a  sure  remedy. 

"  Black  eyes,"  or  the  receptacle  turning  black,  is  caused 
by  light  frosts,  to  which  the  open  flowers  are  very  suscepti- 
ble. If  one's  strawberry  bed  were  in  bloom,  and  there  was 
a  prospect  of  a  frosty  night,  I  think  the  blossoms  could  be 
saved  by  covering  the  bed  with  four  or  five  inches  of  straw 
or  hay,  and  raking  it  off  again  as  soon  as  the  temperature 
rose  sufficiently  high  in  the  morning. 

Without  doubt,  new  diseases  and  enemies  to  the  straw- 
berry will  be  developed  in  the  future,  and  as  they  come 
we  must  experiment  till  we  find  some  means  of  mastering 
them. 

RASPBERRIES   AND   BLACKBERRIES. 

These  two  fruits  are  so  near  akin  that  they  are  subject  to 
the  attacks  of  the  same  diseases  and  enemies.  The  most 
fatal  scourge  of  red  raspberries  that  I  have  seen  is  what  is 
called  at  Marlboro'  the  curl-leaf;  and,  if  unchecked,  it  will 


290  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

eventually  banish  the  famous  Hudson  River  Antwerp  from 
cultivation.  As  yet,  no  remedy  has  been  found  for  it  that 
I  am  aware  of.  I  believe  it  to  be  contagious,  and  would 
advise  that  the  plants  be  dug  out  and  burned  immediately, 
and  that  plantations  of  strong,  healthy  plants  be  made  on 
new  land  that  has  never  been  in  raspberries.  I  also  sug- 
gest the  free  use  of  wood-ashes  and  well-decayed  compost. 
As  far  as  my  experience  goes,  this  disease  is  confined  to  for- 
eign varieties,  and  almost  wholly,  as  yet,  to  the  Antwerps. 

Mr.  Fuller,  in  the  paper  already  named,  describes  a  dis- 
ease among  blackberries  that  resembles  the  raspberry  curl- 
leaf  so  closely  that  it  may  be  identical,  and  spring  from  the 
same  cause. 

"  Some  ten  years  ago,  the  cultivators  of  the  blackberry  in  va- 
rious parts  of  New  Jersey  noticed  that  the  ends  of  the  young, 
growing  canes,  in  summer,  would  occasionally  curl,  twist  about, 
and  often  assume  a  singular,  fasciated  form,  resulting  in  an  en- 
tire  check  to  their  growth.  The  leaves  on  these  infested  shoots 
did  not  die  and  fall  off,  but  merely  curled  up,  sometimes  assum- 
ing a  deeper  green  than  the  healthy  leaves  on  the  same  stalk. 
At  the  approach  of  winter,  the  infested  leaves  remained  firmly 
attached  to  the  diseased  stems :  and  all  through  the  cold  weather, 
and  far  into  the  spring,  these  leaf-laden  and  diseased  stems  were 
a  conspicuous  object  in  many  of  the  blackberry  plantations  of 
this  State. 

"  If  the  infested  shoots  are  examined  in  summer,  thousands 
of  minute  insects,  of  a  pale  yellow  color,  and  covered  with  a 
powdery  exudation,  will  be  found  sucking  the  juices  of  the  suc- 
culent stem  and  leaves,  causing  the  crimping,  curling,  and  twist- 
ing of  these  parts  as  described. 

"This  parasite  resembles  somewhat  an  ordinary  green-fly 
{Aphis}  or  plant  louse ;  but,  according  to  the  observations  of 
Professor  Riley,  it  belongs  to  the  closely  allied  Flea-lice  family 
{P syllidce),  distinguished  from  the  plant-lice  by  a  different  vein- 
ing  of  the  wings,  and  by  the  antennae  being  knobbed  at  the  tip, 


RASPBERRIES  AND  BLACKBERRIES. 

like  those  of  the  butterfly,  the  knob  usually  terminating  in  two 
bristles.  These  insects  jump  as  briskly  as  a  flea,  from  which 
characteristic  they  derive  their  scientific  name.  The  particular 
species  in  question  was  called  by  Professor  Riley  the  '  Bramble- 
Flea-louse  (Psylla  rubi1),'  in  the  American  Entomologist  (Vol.  I., 
p.  225).  It  has  increased  rapidly  during  the  past  half-dozen 
years  or  more,  and  unless  fruit  growers  make  a  more  vigorous 
fight  than  they  have  yet  done,  it  will  soon  get  the  mastery  of 
many  blackberry  plantations.  The  only  practical  method  as  yet 
discovered  for  checking  the  ravages  of  this  insect  is  to  cut  off 
the  ends  of  the  infested  canes  and  burn  them.  This  operation 
should  always  be  performed  either  in  the  morning  or  during  cool, 
wet  weather,  else  many  of  the  insects  will  escape ;  and  at  all 
times  the  severed  shoots  should  be  immediately  dropped  into 
bags,  and  in  them  carried  to  the  place  where  they  are  to  be 
burned,  and  there  emptied  into  the  fire.  If  every  one  having 
blackberry  bushes  in  their  gardens  would  practise  this  method 
of  destruction,  this  pest  would  soon  cease  to  do  much  harm." 

There  are  species  of  borers  and  gall  insects  that  attack 
these  two  fruits,  but  as  yet  they  have  not  become  formida- 
ble. All  infested  canes  should  be  cut  out  and  burned  with 
their  contents,  or  else  the  pests  may  so  increase  as  to  cause 
much  injury. 

The  larvae  of  the  Selandria  rubi,  an  insect  nearly  related 
to  the  imported  currant  worm,  and  known  as  the  raspberry 
saw-fly,  is  destructive  in  some  regions.  It  is  semi-transpar- 
ent, and  so  like  the  foliage  in  color  that  it  could  scarcely  be 
detected,  did  not  the  ragged,  perforated  leaves  indicate 
both  its  presence  and  its  mischief.  This  worm  measures 
half  an  inch  in  length,  when  fully  developed.  It  has  two 
black  eyes,  like  spots,  upon  a  green  head,  and  usually  a 

1  "  It  cannot  be  distinguished  from  Psylla  tripunctata,  Fitch  (Cata- 
logue of  Homoptera,  etc.),  and,  what  is  most  singular,  the  same  spe- 
cies is  very  common  on  pine-trees  all  over  the  eastern  part  of  the 
continent,  from  Florida  to  Canada." 


SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

slightly  fuzzy  body.  The  remedies  recommended  are  the 
same  as  those  used  against  the  currant  worm.  I  have  had 
no  experience  with  this  pest. 

The  Orange-rust  ( Uredo  rubrum)  is  one  of  the  worst  of 
foes  to  both  the  blackberry  and  raspberry,  —  the  Rubus 
occidentalis,  or  black-cap  family,  suffering  the  most,  usually. 
I  have  seen  fields  of  the  Early  Wilson  and  Kittatinny  black- 
berries in  New  Jersey  that  presented  a  melancholy  appear- 
ance. It  is  believed  to  be  very  contagious,  and  it  can  be 
spread  by  both  trimmer  and  pickers.  Mr.  Chas.  A.  Green, 
of  Monroe  county,  N.  Y.,  writes  :  "  The  end  plant  of  a  row 
in  my  garden  was  affected,  and  I  let  it  remain,  as  an  expet; 
iment.  In  three  years,  nearly  every  plant  in  the  row  was  more 
or  less  diseased.  We  have  tried  picking  the  leaves  and  cut- 
ting back  the  canes,  without  relief,  and  have  found  that  the 
only  safe  method  is  to  dig  out  and  destroy  all  affected  plants 
without  delay."  Mr.  Fuller  says  that  "  application  of  lime, 
salt,  or  some  similar  substance,  may  check  the  disease ; 
but  I  know  of  no  remedy  except  that  of  rooting  up  every 
affected  plant,  and  burning  it."  Mr.  Downing  recommends 
the  same  course.  It  is  one  of  those  evils  that  should  be 
stamped  out  at  once.  If  a  plantation  were  generally  affected 
with  this  yellow  symbol  of  contagion,  it  would  be  well  to  de- 
stroy all  the  plants,  and,  obtaining  new,  healthful  stock  from 
a  distance,  start  again  on  different  grounds.  Should  the 
snowy  tree-cricket  become  very  abundant,  it  might  cause 
much  injury,  chiefly  by  cutting  off  the  leaves,  as  the  ordinary 
cut-worm  serves  the  stem  of  a  young  plant. 


CURRANTS  AND   GOOSEBERRIES.  293 

CURRANTS   AND   GOOSEBERRIES. 

We  have  not  only  imported  our  best  currants  from  Eu- 
rope, but  also  their  worst  enemies.  The  most  formidable 
of  these  is  popularly  known  as  the  currant  worm.  Robert 
Thompson,  the  English  authority,  thus  describes  it :  "  The 
magpie  moth  (Abraxas  grossulariata)  deposits  its  eggs 
upon  the  foliage,  and  from  them  is  hatched  a  slightly  hairy 
cream- colored  caterpillar,  spotted  with  black,  and  marked 
with  orange  along  the  sides,  and  which  forms  a  loop  in 
walking.  It  feeds  upon  the  leaves,  devouring  all  but  the 
petiole,  and  often  entirely  defoliating  both  gooseberry  and 
currant  bushes.  It  changes  into  a  pupa  in  May  or  June, 
and  in  about  three  weeks  afterward,  the  perfect  insect  makes 
its  appearance."  Very  naturally,  this  currant  worm  made 
its  debut  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  a  great  fruit  centre,  receiv- 
ing annually  large  importations  of  plants.  Its  first  appear- 
ance was  in  1857. 

In  England,  the  caterpillar  of  the  Phakena  vanaria,  a 
similar  insect,  is  often  destructive.  Whether  it  has  appeared 
among  us  yet,  I  am  not  informed.  They  fight  it  abroad  as 
they  do  the  ordinary  worm. 

The  gooseberry  and  currant  saw-fly  (Nentatus  ribesit), 
another  pestiferous  foreigner,  has  made  its  appearance  in 
some  localities. 

We  have,  besides,  a  native  saw-fly  (Pristiphera  grossula- 
rtas),  which  resembles  its  European  congener,  and  emulates 
it  in  mischief.  The  larva  of  this  fly  feeds  upon  both  the 
currant  and  the  gooseberry,  but  prefers  the  latter. 

Nature  is  liberal,  and  has  given  us,  in  addition,  a  native 

gooseberry  span-worm,  the  larva  of  a  small  moth.     These 

several  worms,  unchecked,  would  soon  render  the  culture  of 

the  currant  and  gooseberry  impossible  in  the  regions  where 

M— ROE— XVn 


294  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

they  abounded ;  and,  at  first,  horticulturists  were  almost  in 
despair,  for  the  pests  seemed  proof  against  the  usual  insect- 
icides and  means  of  destruction.  It  was  eventually  discov- 
ered that  powdered  white  hellebore  was  a  specific  remedy. 
Usually,  it  is  applied  unmixed  with  other  substances ;  and 
pains  should  be  taken  to  get  a  genuine  article,  or  else  it  will 
not  destroy  the  worms. 

Mr.  H.  T.  Jones,  of  Rochester,  recommends  the  follow- 
ing :  — 

"  To  one  pailful  of  wood-ashes,  add  one  quart  each  of  white 
hellebore  and  flowers  of  sulphur  ;  mix  thoroughly  ;  apply  by 
sifting  on  the  bushes  while  the  dew  is  on  them.  I  used  nothing 
else  on  my  plantation  of  over  two  acres  last  season,  and  want 
nothing  better  ;  but  it  must  be  used  daily  as  long  as  any  worms 
are  seen." 

I  have  heard  that,  if  applied  in  a  liquid  form,  a  heaping 
table-spoonful  of  hellebore  to  a  gallon  of  water  is  a  good 
proportion. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  Historical  Society,  it 
was  stated  by  good  authorities,  as  the  result  of  actual  expe- 
rience, that  tobacco-dust  would  kill  the  worms  as  readily  as 
hellebore.  I  hope  this  is  true,  since  the  latter  is  expensive 
when  applied  on  a  large  scale,  and  the  tobacco-dust  can  be 
bought  at  from  two  dollars  to  three  dollars  per  barrel.  I 
shall  try  it  next  year. 

I  also  quote  the  following  from  a  recent  editorial  by  Mr= 
Fuller,  in  the  New  York  "  Weekly  Sun  :  "  — 

"  White  hellebore  has  long  been  considered  one  of  the  most 
efficacious  of  all  poisons  for  the  imported  currant  worm,  but  a 
New  Jersey  fruit  grower  of  considerable  experience  informed  us 
not  long  ago  that  he  had  found  strong  tobacco  water  quite  as 
good  as  the  hellebore,  and  it  was  also  soon  washed  off  by  heavy 
rains,  whereby  the  fruit  was  not  rendered  unfit  for  use,  as  when 


CURRANTS  AND   GOOSEBERRIES.  2Q5 

other  and  more  virulent  poisons  are  employed.  To  make  a 
strong  solution,  put  a  half-bushel  or  bushel  of  tobacco  stems,  or 
even  the  leaves,  into  a  cask  or  barrel,  and  press  down  and  hold 
in  place  with  a  stone  or  other  weight ;  then  pour  on  hot  water 
enough  to  cover  the  tobacco,  and  leave  it  for  a  few  days  to 
steep.  After  steeping,  the  cask  may  be  filled  up  with  warm  or 
cold  water,  and  the  solution  is  ready  for  use.  If  a  half  pound 
or  pound  of  crude  potash  is  added,  or  a  quart  or  two  of  soft 
soap  is  stirred  in,  the  solution  will  be  much  improved,  especially 
in  its  destructive  properties.  After  using  the  first  liquid,  the 
barrels  may  be  filled  again  with  water,  and  left  to  steep  a  few 
days  longer  than  the  first  time,  or  some  fresh  tobacco  may  be 
added,  to  give  the  solution  the  required  strength.  Tobacco 
water  is  certainly  a  cheap  insecticide,  and  will  frequently  be 
found  quite  as  efficacious  as  those  that  are  more  costly  and 
troublesome  to  apply." 

A  gentleman  from  Erie,  Pa.,  writes  to  me  that  he  has 
used  this  remedy  for  years,  with  complete  success. 

Mr.  J.  McK.  Beattie,  of  Pictou,  Nova  Scotia,  has  written 
to  me  of  a  still  s.impler  method :  — 

"  I  notice  in  the  April  number  of  '  Scribner's  Monthly '  that 
you  intend  to  use  tobacco-dust  to  destroy  the  currant  worms. 
It  will  prove  effectual ;  but  as  I  can  give  you  a  far  more  simple 
plan,  I  take  the  liberty  of  writing.  It  is  one  which  I  have 
proved  for  the  past  seven  years,  and  never  have  known  it  to  fail 
wherever  tried. 

"  After  digging  about  my  bushes,  and  manuring  in  the  spring, 
I  cover  the  earth  around  the  bushes  with  tobacco  stems,  and 
place  a  handful  in  the  middle  of  the  bush,  and  the  work  is  done 
for  the  season.  I  found  that  when  using  the  dust  I  had  to  re- 
new it  after  every  heavy  rain,  whereas  the  stems  did  not  need 
renewing,  unless  it  was  a  very  wet  season,  and  then,  if  any 
worms  appeared,  a  handful  of  fresh  stems  scattered  through  the 
bushes  made  them  disappear. 

"  The  stems  have  several  advantages  :  they  are  cheaper  than 
dust ;  they  serve  as  a  mulch  to  keep  the  ground  off  the  fruit ; 


SUCCESS   WTTH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

and  when  dug  in  about  the  bush,  they  make  an  excellent  manure. 
I  think  if  you  once  gave  them  a  fair  trial  you  would  never  be 
tempted  to  try  any  other  method. 

"  Last  year  stems  were  very  scarce  here,  and  I  could  not  get 
enough  to  mulch  all  my  bushes,  so  I  only  put  a  generous  hand- 
ful in  the  centre  of  a  good  many  bushes,  and  they  were  not 
troubled ;  but  I  would  not  like  to  recommend  that  plan  until  I 
experimented  further." 

For  the  past  two  years  the  worm  has  attacked  my  bushes 
savagely;  but,  as  I  am  very  fond  of  currants,  and  relish 
white,  powdered  sugar  more  than  hellebore,  I  fought  the 
pests  successfully  by  hand-picking.  I  kept  a  boy,  at  mod- 
erate wages,  whose  business  it  was  to  kill  insects  and  worms. 
He  had  a  lively  time  of  it  occasionally,  for  Nature  some- 
times appeared  to  take  sides  with  the  pests. 

The  cautious  use  of  lime  and  salt  around  and  under  the 
bushes  might  prove  beneficial,  since  the  worm  descends  into 
the  soil  before  changing  into  a  pupa. 

The  currant  and  gooseberry  are  also  infested  with  several 
species  of  plant-lice.  A  gentleman  whose  bushes  were  at- 
tacked by  lice  and  the  currant  worm  at  the  same  time,  wrote 
to  the  "  Country  Gentleman  "  that  he  destroyed  both  by  a 
strong  decoction  of  white  hellebore,  applied  from  a  fine 
rose-sprinkling  can.  The  bushes  were  turned  back  and 
forth,  so  as  to  get  the  solution  on  the  under  side  of  the 
leaves.  The  writer  concludes  :  — 

"  The  decoction  of  hellebore  must  be  strong  to  be  effectual. 
I  make  it  as  follows  :  To  a  gallon  of  boiling  water  add  a  table- 
spoonful  of  pulverized  hellebore.  After  standing  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes,  add  three  gallons  of  common  soapsuds.  When 
cool,  apply  with  a  sprinkler.  I  do  not  know  that  there  is  any 
virtue  in  the  soapsuds,  excepting  it  makes  the  solution  stick  to 
the  leaves." 


CURRANTS  AND   GOOSEBERRIES.  297 

There  are  three  species  of  currant  borers  with  unpronounce- 
able names.  Their  presence  is  shown  by  yellow  foliage  and 
withering  fruit  in  summer,  and  by  brown,  shrivelled  branches 
in  winter.  Cutting  out  and  burning  is  the  only  remedy. 
Usually,  a  vigorous  bush  will  outgrow  the  attacks  of  this 
enemy ;  and  good  cultivation  gives  vigor,  and  also  disturbs 
and  brings  to  the  surface  the  worms  that  have  entered  the 
soil  to  undergo  their  transformation.  From  first  to  last, 
tonic  treatment  supplements  and  renders  more  effective  our 
direct  efforts  to  destroy  diseases  and  enemies. 

Most  earnestly  would  I  urge  caution  in  using  all  virulent 
poisons  like  Paris  green,  London  purple,  hellebore,  etc. 

Whenever  it  is  possible  to  substitute  a  less  poisonous  sub- 
stance, do  so  by  all  means.  Some  good  people  regard  to- 
bacco as  the  bane  of  banes ;  but  to  many  it  does  not  cause 
the  feeling  of  repugnance  and  fear  inspired  by  hellebore  and 
more  poisonous  insecticides.  Let  all  such  articles  be  kept 
under  lock  and  key ;  and  one  person  should  have  charge  of 
their  use,  and  be  held  responsible  for  them.  Moreover,  any 
watering-can  used  with  Paris  green  and  like  substances 
should  be  marked  with  the  word  Poison,  in  large  letters.  If 
insecticides  are  used  in  the  form  of  a  powder,  great  care 
should  be  exercised  to  keep  it  from  falling  on  other  vegeta- 
tion or  fruit  that  might  be  eaten  by  man  or  beast.  I  have 
known  of  pigs  and  horses  dying  from  eating  herbage  on  which 
Paris  green  had  blown  from  a  potato  field.  London  purple, 
which,  as  a  cheaper  and  equally  effective  article,  is  taking  the 
place  of  Paris  green,  must  be  used  with  the  same  caution, 
since  it  is  a  compound  of  arsenic,  and  equally  poisonous. 

It  is  my  wish  and  intention  to  experiment  carefully  with 
the  various  means  and  methods  of  coping  with  the  diseases 
and  enemies  of  small  fruits,  and  to  give  this  chapter  frequent 
revisions. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PICKING   AND   MARKETING. 

IN  the  proceedings  of  the  New  Jersey  State  Horticultural 
Society,  I  find  the  following  interesting-paper  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  C.  W.  Idell,  a  commission  merchant,  whose  intel- 
ligent interest  in  fruits  extends  beyond  their  current  price. 
He  gives  so  graphic  a  picture  of  the  diminutive  beginning  of 
small  fruit  growing  and  marketing,  that  I  am  led  to  quote 
freely : — 

"About  the  earliest  knowledge  I  could  obtain  of  the  straw- 
berry in  our  State  is  that  it  first  grew  wild  in  many  regions,  par- 
ticularly in  the  county  of  Bergen.  The  negroes  were  the  first 
to  pick  this  fruit  for  the  New  York  market,  and  invented  those 
quaint  old-fashioned  splint  baskets,  with  handles,  that  were  and 
are  still  in  use  in  that  county.  These  berries  were  taken  to 
New  York,  the  baskets  being  strung  on  poles,  and  thus  peddled 
through  the  city.  I  would  state,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who 
have  not  seen  these  baskets,  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the 
original  makers  of  them  to  have  them  contain  a  half-pint  each', 
but  soon  they  became  so  reduced  in  size  that  each  buyer  was 
compelled  to  guess  at  the  contents  of  those  he  bought. 

"Just  when  cultivated  berries  made  their  appearance,  I  am 
unable  to  say,  but  I  am  inclined  to  think  they  were  derived  from 
seedlings  of  the  wild  fruit.  From  the  information  I  have  gath- 
ered, I  think  that  the  cultivation  of  the  fruit  for  the  market  orig- 
inated in  the  vicinity  of  Hackensack,  Bergen  county,  and  from 
there  spread  over  the  State.  As  there  were  no  railroads  it 


PICKING  AND  MARKETING.  2Q9 

that  section  at  that  early  date,  all  the  berries  had  to  be  carted  to 
New  York  in  wagons,  crossing  the  Hudson  at  Hoboken.  Quite 
recently  I  met  with  Mr.  Andrew  M.  Hopper,  of  Pascack,  who 
gave  me  several  interesting  points  from  his  early  recollections. 

"  Mr.  Hopper  said  :  '  I  am  sixty-five  years  old,  and  can  well 
remember  picking  berries  for  my  father,  when  a  boy  ten  years  of 
age.  At  that  time  we  had  no  crates  as  we  have  now,  but  packed 
them  in  large  baskets  that  we  called  hampers. 

" '  Our  only  shipping  point  to  New  York  was  Piermont, 
on  the  Hudson,  New  York  State,  a  distance  of  about  eight 
miles. 

"'At  this  point  there  was  a  line  of  sloops  that  sailed  semi- 
weekly,  when  wind  and  tide  permitted.  In  those  days  there 
were  no  commission  merchants  in  New  York  that  dealt  in  berries, 
and  each  fanner  was  compelled  to  go  with  and  sell  his  own  fruit. 
The  fare  on  these  vessels  was  one  shilling  for  a  round  trip, 
board  not  included  ;  and  as  it  sometimes  required  two  days  to 
reach  the  city,  each  farmer  provided  a  lunch  for  himself  before 
starting  from  home,  as  well  as  provender  for  his  team,  which 
was  left  at  the  landing  to  await  his  return.  The  usual  fee  for 
caring  for  the  team  while  they  were  gone  was  twenty-five 
cents.' 

"The  Hautbois  was  the  first  named  variety  he  could  remem- 
ber, which  was  introduced  among  them  in  1835.  1°  about  1840 
the  Scotch  Runner  was  introduced  at  Hackensack.  It  was  a 
valuable  variety  for  the  growers,  as  it  was  hardy,  a  good  bearer, 
and  the  fruit  grew  unusually  large  for  that  period.  An  incident 
connected  with  the  introduction  of  this  variety  is  worth  mention- 
ing, showing  the  eagerness  of  the  cultivators  to  procure  the 
plants. 

"  A  gentleman  living  at  'Old  Bridge,'  which  is  a  few  miles 
above  Hackensack,  secured  quite  a  number  of  plants  and  set 
them  out  in  his  garden  for  the  purpose  of  propagating  them,  so 
that  he  could  in  due  time  plant  a  large  patch  of  them.  The 
vines  being  in  great  demand,  his  neighbors  insisted  upon  his 
selling  them ;  but  this  proposition  he  positively  refused,  and 
the  consequence  was  that,  one  night,  some  person  entered  his 
garden  and  stole  every  plant  he  had.  At  this  period  and  up  to 


300  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

the  introduction  of  the  Wilson,  all  strawberries  in  that  section 
were  picked  and  marketed  without  the  hulls. 

"  For  a  long  time  I  have  been  trying  to  find  out  the  originator 
of  the  quart- berry-box  and  crate,  and,  thinking  Mr.  Hopper 
might  possess  some  knowledge  on  this  point,  I  inquired  of  him. 
He  replied  :  '  I  know  nothing  about  the  quart  box,  for  I  never 
used  them,  but  I  do  about  the  crate. 

'"  In  1840  I  made  the  first  crate  ever  used  in  our  section,  if 
not  in  the  State,  and  I  will  tell  you  how  I  came  to  do  it.  In 
those  days  I  raised  large  quantities  of  apricots,  and  marketed 
them  in  such  baskets  as  we  happened  to  have.  In  the  year 
named  my  fruit  was  very  /arge  and  finely  colored,  and  knowing 
they  would  be  damaged  by  carting  in  the  usual  way,  I  had 
a  number  of  small  baskets  made,  and  then  I  constructed  a  crate 
to  fit  them.  The  next  day  after  I  made  them,  Gen.  Acker,  who 
was  an  old  fruit  grower,  called  on  me,  admired  the  arrangement, 
and  suggested  that  they  would  answer  to  pack  berries  in,  and 
requested  me  to  make  two  for  him,  which  I  did.  From  these 
the  use  of  them  became  general.' 

"  The  cases  referred  to  were  skeleton  cases,  some  with  and 
others  without  lids,  each  grower  making  them  to  suit  his  own 
convenience  for  handling;  but  they  generally  contained  from 
one  to  two  hundred  baskets  each.  The  number  of  baskets  in 
each  was  marked  either  on  the  lid  or  slat." 

From  the  above  quotation,  the  reader  can  realize  what 
vast  changes  have  taken  place  within  the  last  fifty  years.  A 
few  sable  peddlers,  with  little  baskets  strung  on  poles,  form 
a  decided  contrast  with  a  Charleston  steamer,  bringing  in 
one  trip  North  far  more  strawberries,  in  patent  refrigerators, 
than  were  then  sold  in  a  year ;  or  with  an  Old  Dominion 
steamship,  discharging  six  thousand  bushels  as  a  single  item 
of  cargo.  Ninety-four  car-loads  of  strawberries  have  passed 
over  the  Delaware  railroad  in  one  day.  According  to  one 
computation  already  given,  New  York  consumes  £25,000,000 
worth  of  small  fruits  annually.  If  the  business  has  grown  to 


PICKING  AND  MARKETING.  30! 

such  proportions  within  the  last  half-century,  may  we  not 
expect  even  greater  increase  in  the  future  ?  The  appliances 
for  preserving  fruit,  and  for  transporting  it  quickly  and 
safely,  become  more  perfect  every  year.  Thus  a  market  is 
created  in  vast  regions  which,  though  populous,  are  not 
adapted  to  the  raising  of  fruit. 

The  modern  conditions  of  marketing  fruit  are  just  the 
reverse  of  those  described  by  Mr.  Idell.  Then  the  berries, 
both  in  size  and  quantity,  were  small ;  but  the  labor  and 
difficulty  in  reaching  the  consumer  were  immense.  Now, 
strawberries  that  in  size  resemble  tomatoes  can  be  forwarded 
by  the  ship  and  car-load,  with  brief  printed  labels,  and  the 
commission  merchant  sells  for  his  correspondent,  who  may 
reside  hundreds  of  miles  away,  and  for  years  never  follow 
his  fruits  to  their  market.  Our  chief  ground  for  solicitude  is 
success  in  rinding  a  commission  house  able  to  dispose  of  our 
fruit  promptly  at  current  rates,  and  sufficiently  honest  to 
make  exact  returns  at  the  end  of  each  week.  There  are 
many  who  do  this,  and  not  a  few  who  do  not.  If  one  has 
not  satisfactory  business  acquaintance  in  the  city,  I  suggest 
that  they  learn  from  their  neighbors  who  have  been  in  the 
habit  of  shipping  produce,  the  names  of  merchants  that  uni- 
formly have  made  the  best  returns.  Moreover,  it  is  often 
well,  if  one  has  considerable  fruit,  to  ship  to  two  or  more 
parties,  and  compare  prices.  The  homely  proverb  hinting 
that  it  is  not  wise  to  put  all  our  eggs  in  one  basket,  is 
sound. 

FRUIT   PACKAGES. 

My  experience  and  observation  have  led  me  to  market 
my  strawberries  in  square  quart  baskets,  and  round  pints, 
and  raspberries  in  half- pints ;  although  pints  answer  equally 
well  for  a  firm  raspberry,  like  the  Cuthbert  or  Brandywine. 


J02  SUCCJSSS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

If  I  were  shipping  long  distances,  I  would  prefer  baskets 
of  which  the  round  Beecher  quarts  and  pints  are  the  types. 
Such  packages  occupy  too  much  space,  however,  to  be  for- 
warded in  refrigerators.     I  think  berries  remain   in  good 
condition  longer  in  this  circular,  open  basket  than  in  any 
other.     Of  the  crate,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  it  should  be 
light,  strong,  and  so  constructed  as  to  permit  free  circulation 
of  air.     Few  of  the  square  "  quart  baskets"  hold  a  quart 
Indeed,  there  are  but  few  honest  baskets  in  the  market; 
and  the  fact  has  come  to  be  so  well  recognized  that  they  are 
now  sold  by  the  "  basket,"  the  majority  being  aware  that 
they  are  simply  packages  of  fruit.     I  think  there  should  be 
a  change  in  this  respect,  and  that   the    several   packages 
should  hold  a  full  quart,  pint,  etc.     Square  quarts  fill  a  crate 
compactly,  requiring  the  least  amount  of  space ;  there  is  no 
chance  for  the  baskets  to  upset,  and  when   the  crate   is 
opened   there  is  a  continuous  surface  of  fruit,  which  is  very 
attractive.      Very  large,    showy   strawberries   appear   best, 
however,  in  round  baskets.     If  my  market  were  a  near  one, 
I  would  plan  to  dispose  of  the  bulk  of  my  crop  in  round 
pints,  since  they  could  be  used  for  strawberries,  the  firmer 
raspberries,  and  blackberries.     Thus  one  stock  and  style  of 
baskets  would  last  throughout  the  whole  season. 

A  little  good  taste  bestowed  upon  the  appearance  of  a 
fruit  package  often  adds  several  cents  per  pound  or  quart  to 
the  price  received,  and  thus  it  comes  that  the  brand  of  cer- 
tain growers  is  sought  after  in  the  market.  A  few  green 
leaves,  judiciously  placed,  cost  nothing,  but  may  catch  the 
eye  and  secure  a  fancy  price. 

After  much  inquiry  in  the  market,  however,  I  am  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  size,  quality,  and  appearance  of  the  fruit 
count  for  far  more  than  all  other  considerations  combined. 
The  old  Marlboro'  thirds  still  largely  in  use  on  the  Hud- 


FRUIT  PACKAGES'  303 

son,  should  be  superseded  as  soon  as  possible  by  baskets 
that  permit  circulation  of  air.  We  should  use  boxes  cheap 
enough  to  be  given  away  with  the  fruit.  There  is  a  box  of 
this  kind,  called  the  "  Sunnyside  fruit-box,"  which  can  be 
obtained  for  about  $10  per  1000.  The  purchaser  sees  a 
pretty  box  of  fruit  at  a  shop,  buys  and  takes  it  with  him, 
and  is  at  no  trouble  to  return  the  box.  The  present  fre- 
quent practice  of  pouring  the  fruit  into  brown-paper  bags  is 
villanous. 

Mr.  J.  T.  Budd,  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  in  a  sensible  letter, 
gives  several  excellent  reasons  why  it  would  be  better,  and, 
in  the  end,  cheaper,  to  use  such  cheap  crates  and  baskets 
that  one  could  afford  to  let  them  go  with  the  fruit.  The 
expenses  of  transportation  would  thus  be  reduced,  and  the 
prices  of  the  berries  enhanced,  not  only  because  the  pur- 
chaser would  not  have  the  trouble  of  returning  packages, 
but  chiefly  for  the  reason  that  the  fruit  would  always  ap- 
pear in  fresh,  new  baskets,  instead  of  those  soiled,  and  often 
musty,  from  long  use.  Mr.  Budd  shows  that,  in  Delaware, 
crates  and  baskets  could  be  made  sufficiently  cheap  for  this 
practice. 

PICKING. 

Having  procured  the  baskets  which  suit  us  best,  the  next 
thing  is  to  fill  them  properly,  and  get  them  into  market 
looking  fresh  and  attractive.  It  is  just  at  this  point  that 
very  many  wrong  themselves,  or  permit  themselves  to  be 
wronged.  The  time  is  past  when  all  strawberries  will  sell 
as  such,  at  so  much  per  quart.  Appearance  often  doubles 
the  price,  or  makes  it  difficult  to  sell  the  fruit  at  all.  Soiled, 
muddy  berries,  even  though  large,  will  fetch  but  wretched 
prices ;  therefore  the  importance  of  mulching.  The  fruit 
may  be  in  beautiful  condition  upon  the  vines  and  yet  be 


304  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FR&ITS. 

spoiled  by  careless  picking.  The  work  is  often  performed 
by  children,  or  by  those  who  have  had  no  experience,  or 
who,  from  inherent  shiftlessness,  do  everything  in  the  worst 
possible  way.  I  have  seen  beautiful  berries  that  in  their  brief 
transit  through  grimy  hands  lost  half  their  value.  Many 
pickers  will  lay  hold  of  the  soft  berry  itself  and  pinch  it 
as  they  pull  it  off;  then,  instead  of  dropping  it  into  the  bas- 
ket, they  will  hold  it  in  the  hand  as  they  pick  others,  and  as 
the  hand  grows  fuller,  will  squeeze  them  tighter,  and  when, 
at  last,  the  half-crushed  handful  is  dropped  into  the  basket, 
the  berries  are  almost  ruined  for  market  purposes.  Not  for 
$10  per  day  would  I  permit  such  a  person  to  pick  for  me, 
for  he  not  only  takes  fifty  per  cent  from  the  price  of  the 
fruit,  but  gives  my  brand  a  bad  reputation.  If  possible,  the 
grower  should  carefully  select  his  pickers,  and  have  them 
subscribe  to  a  few  plain  rules,  like  the  following :  — 

1.  Each  berry  must  be  picked  with  the  thumb  and  fore-finger 
nails,  and  not  held  in  the  hand,  but  dropped  into  the  basket  at 
once. 

2.  No  green,  decayed,  or  muddy  berries  will  be  received. 

3.  There  must  be  no  getting  down  upon  all  fours  in  the  beds, 
thus  crushing  both  green  and  ripe  fruit. 

4.  There  must  be  no  "topping  off"  with  large  berries,  but 
the  fruit  must  be  equally  good  all  through  the  basket. 

In  the  early  pickings  of  Wilsons,  when  many  of  the  ber- 
ries are  of  good  size,  and  of  all  the  large,  choice  kinds,  it 
is  best  to  make  two  grades,  putting  the  large  and  small  by 
themselves,  and  keeping  varieties  separate.  A  small  frame, 
with  short  legs  at  the  corners,  and  a  handle,  is  a  convenient 
appliance  to  hold  six  or  more  baskets  while  picking.  Give 
to  each  picker  two  sets  of  baskets,  one  for  the  small  and 
one  for  the  large  berries,  and  pay  equally  for  both,  or  per- 
haps a  little  more  for  the  small  ones,  so  that  there  may  be  no 


305 

motive  to  thwart  your  purpose ;  one  and  a  half  to  two  cents 
per  quart  is  the  usual  price.  Have  two  styles  of  tickets, 
red  and  blue,  for  instance ;  the  red  having  a  higher  value 
and  being  given  to  those  who  bring  the  berries  to  the  place 
of  packing  in  good  order,  according  to  rule ;  let  the  bas- 
kets not  picked  in  conformity  to  the  rules  be  receipted  for 
with  the  blue  tickets.  Receiving  many  of  the  latter  soon 
becomes  a  kind  of  disgrace,  and  thus  you  appeal  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  self-respect  as  well  as  self-interest.  Get  rid  of  those 
who  persist  in  careless  picking  as  soon  as  possible.  Insist 
that  the  baskets  be  full  and  rounded  up,  and  the  fruit  equal 
in  quality  down  to  the  bottom.  As  far  as  possible,  let  the 
hulls  be  down  out  of  sight)  and  only  the  fruit  showing.  If 
you  have  berries  that  are  extra  fine,  it  will  pay  you  to  pick 
and  pack  them  yourself,  or  have  some  one  to  do  it  who  can 
be  depended  upon.  Do  not  pick  the  fruit,  if  you  can  help 
it,  when  it  is  wet  with  dew  or  rain ;  still,  there  are  times 
when  this  must  be  done  to  save  it.  Never  let  the  baskets 
or  crates  stand  long  in  the  sun  and  wind,  as  the  berries  so 
treated  soon  become  dull  and  faded.  As  soon  as  a  crate 
is  filled,  put  it  under  cover  in  a  cool  place  till  shipped  to 
market.  As  far  as  possible,  insist  upon  careful,  gentle 
handling. 

Raspberries  should  be  treated  with  even  greater  care  than 
strawberries,  since  they  are  softer  and  more  perishable. 
They  should  never  be  put  into  anything  larger  than  a  pint 
basket,  while  thirds  of  a  quart  and  half-pints  are  much  bet- 
ter. Round  half-pints  seem  to  be  coming  into  favor.  There 
is  a  wide,  shallow  basket  made  in  Rochester,  that  some  grow- 
ers think  highly  of.  With  most  varieties  of  raspberries,  if 
any  considerable  number  are  placed  together  they  soon  be- 
come a  soft,  moldy  mass.  The  ideal  raspberry  basket,  there- 
fore, is  small,  open,  and  shallow ;  and  the  crates  should  pet- 

20 


306  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

mit  free  circulation.  Pick  the  fruit  when  dry,  and  as  soon 
as  it  is  ripe,  as  over-ripe  berries  decay  quickly.  Keep  vari- 
eties by  themselves.  Mr.  Parry  says  that  raspberries  will 
pay  at  ten  cents  per  quart,  but  the  margin  of  profit  will  be 
small.  They  usually  sell  at  much  higher  figures.  Black- 
caps of  late  years  have  scarcely  brought  paying  prices  in 
New  York  market.  The  following  statement  shows  what  a 
difference  variety,  and  therefore  quality,  makes  in  the  same 
market.  On  the  7th  day  of  July,  1871,  raspberries  were 
sold  at  wholesale,  in  Philadelphia,  as  follows,  viz. :  — 

Black-cap 5  cents  per  quart. 

Philadelphia 8  " 

Pearl 16  " 

Susqueco,  or  Brandywine 30 

Hornet 60 

Blackberries  sell  well  in  both  quart  and  pint  baskets,  but 
if  one  is  sending  a  long  distance,  pints  will  carry  the  fruit  in 
better  condition. 

One  of  the  best  methods  of  shipping  currants  is  to  have 
tills,  or  shallow  boxes,  two  or  three  in  number,  fitting  in 
one's  berry  crates,  which  can  thus  be  made  to  serve  a 
double  purpose.  Mark  on  these  tills  the  net  weight  of  the 
fruit.  For  large,  Cherry  currants,  quart  and  verbena  bas- 
kets ,are  often  used.  Many  like  a  long  market  basket,  hold- 
ing about  25  pounds,  while  those  who  raise  grapes  often 
make  the  same  shallow  boxes  answer  for  both. 

Gooseberries  are  shipped  in  all  kinds  of  packages,  from 
barrels  to  quart  boxes.  I  prefer  a  crate  with  tills,  for  both 
gooseberries  and  currants.  These  two  fruits,  especially  the 
latter,  are  becoming  increasingly  profitable  every  year. 

In  summing  up,  it  may  be  briefly  stated  that  with  all 
fruits,  and  in  all  the  large  markets,  beauty,  size,  and  good 
keeping  qualities  are  the  points  which  are  chiefly  consid- 


•PICKING.  3O7 

ered.  Very  few  know  much  about  the  names  of  varieties, 
but  eagerly  purchase  that  which  appears  the  most  attractive. 
The  grower  who  can  make  his  crates  of  berries,  when  opened, 
look  better  than  others  near,  will  always  receive  good  prices. 
If  he  tops  off  poor  fruit  with  large  berries,  he  will  scarcely 
find  a  market  eventually.  If  he  always  fills  his  baskets  -well 
and  honestly,  and  gives  good  weight,  taking  pains  to  make 
his  packages  appear  attractive,  his  fruit  will  soon  be  in  much 
demand  and  spoken  for  in  advance. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

IRRIGATION. 

*T*HIS  is  a  topic  on  which  a  book  might  be  written.  The 
-^  reader  will  draw  a  sigh  of  relief,  however,  on  learning 
that  I  shall  content  myself  with  giving  a  few  facts  and  sug- 
gestions, since  I  am  well  aware  that,  in  spite  of  its  title,  this 
chapter  will  be  dry  to  many. 

The  first  rays  that  fall  from  the  lamp  of  history  reveal  vast 
systems  of  irrigation  in  full  operation.  In  many  parts  of 
the  globe  artificial  watering  is  absolutely  essential,  and  there 
are  few  agricultural  regions  which  might  not  be  rendered  far 
more  productive  if  the  supply  of  moisture  could  be  regulated 
in  accordance  with  the  needs  of  each  crop. 

The  question,  as  we  shall  consider  it,  is  a  practical  one. 
In  California  and  other  sections,  the  land  must  be  irrigated  ; 
here,  and  wherever  the  rain-fall  is  more  equally  distributed 
throughout  the  year,  we  can  water  if  we  find  the  practice 
remunerative. 

The  increased  yield  from  the  proper  application  of  water 
is  often  marvellous.  Mr.  James  Neilson,  in  a  paper  read 
before  the  New  Jersey  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  gives 
some  interesting  facts  observed  abroad.  In  regions  along 
the  Cavour  Canal,  the  people  were  able  to  mow  in  one 
season  six  heavy  burdens  of  grass,  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
Edinburgh,  by  the  use  of  sewage  water,  five  or  six  crops  of 
grass  annually.  In  Belgium,  "  sandy,  barren  land  (resem- 


IRRIGATION1.  309 

bling  the  pine  barrens  of  New  Jersey)  was  put  into  profit- 
able cultivation  when  it  could  be  irrigated."  The  plain  of 
Gennevilliers,  near  Paris,  seemed  utterly  worthless  for  culti- 
vation. It  consisted  almost  wholly  of  coarse  gravel,  and 
bore  no  rent.  No  land-owner  would  make  any  effort  to  use 
water,  so  the  city  of  Paris  bought  about  twenty-five  acres 
and  turned  upon  it  part  of  the  sewage.  It  now  rents  for 
nearly  $50  per  acre,  with  sewage  supplied.  In  parts  of 
Spain,  land  is  worth  $2,500  irrigated,  and  but  $125  without 
the  privilege  of  water. 

The  enormous  and  long- continued  crops  of  strawberries 
raised  in  California  prove  that  water  is  equally  effective  in 
our  new  land,  where  the  climate  is  similar,  as  in  the  older 
countries.  Will  irrigation  pay  in  our  latitude,  where  we 
hope  for  seasonable  rains?  I  think  that  in  many  sections 
it  will,  and  occasionally  I  hear  of  remarkable  results  obtained 
by  the  free  use  of  water.  In  one  instance  a  gravelly  hill- 
side, almost  worthless  for  ordinary  cultivation,  became  the 
wonder  of  the  neighborhood,  so  large  were  the  crops  of 
strawberries  secured  by  irrigation. 

Mr.  Chas.  W.  Garfield,  Secretary  of  the  Michigan  State 
Pomological  Society,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  his 
visit  to  Mr.  Dunkley,  a  successful  gardener,  at  Kalamazoo : 
"  A  force,"  he  writes,  "  were  picking  strawberries  from  rows 
of  vigorous  plants,  and  as  we  opened  the  vines  in  advance 
of  the  pickers,  a  more  delightful  strawberry  prospect  we  had 
never  seen.  The  varieties  were  Monarch,  Seneca  Chief,  and 
Wilson,  and  under  the  system  of  irrigation  employed  they 
were  just  prime  for  market,  after  all  the  other  berries  in  the 
vicinity  had  ripened  and  were  gone.  Very  remunerative 
prices  were  thus  secured.  His  vines  were  vigorous  and 
independent  of  the  rains.  Every  berry  that  set  reached 
perfection  in  size  and  form."  The  abundant  moisture 


3IO  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUTTS. 

greatly  increases  the  size  of  the  fruit,  but  retards  the  ripen- 
ing. When  the  fruit  has  reached  the  proper  stage  for  ma- 
turity, the  water  is  withheld,  and  then  the  berries  ripen  fast, 
but  in  their  perfect  development  are  firm,  and  are  shielded 
from  the  sun  by  the  luxuriant  foliage.  "  We  water,"  said 
Mr.  Dunkley,  "  only  to  supplement  the  rain.  If  the  season 
is  wet,  we  employ  our  artificial  system  but  little,  or  not  at 
all,  and  in  such  seasons  get  no  profit  from  our  investments ; 
but  generally,  sometime  during  a  season  there  is  a  drought 
that  shortens  some  crop ;  then  we  irrigate,  and  have  the 
advantage  of  neighboring  gardeners." 

This  statement  suggests  the  practical  question,  Do  droughts 
or  dry  seasons  occur  with  sufficient  frequency  to  warrant  the 
outlay  required  for  irrigation  ?  In  a  very  interesting  paper 
read  before  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  Mr. 
W.  D.  Philbrick  gives  much  information  on  the  subject  of 
artificial  watering,  and  its  need  in  our  latitude  and  section, 
and  I  quote  from  him  freely :  — 

"  The  amount  of  water  required  will  depend  largely  on  the 
rain-fall,  velocity  of  the  wind,  atmospheric  humidity,  soil,  etc. 
A  loose,  sandy  soil  will  require  much  more  water  than  a  reten- 
tive clay.  In  general,  however,  it  may  be  assumed  that  in  the 
warm,  growing  months  of  May,  June,  July,  August  and  Septem- 
ber, most  vegetation  requires  an  inch  in  depth  over  the  entire 
surface  of  the  land  every  five  days.  This  is,  of  course,  only  an 
average.  This  quantity,  estimated  as  needed  by  our  gardens, 
would  be  equivalent  to  six  inches  per  month  of  rain-fall.  If  we 
compare  this  amount  with  the  actual  rain-fall,  we  shall  arrive  at 
an  idea  of  what  is  to  be  supplied  artificially. 

"  The  rain-fall  at  Boston  for  the  past  six  years  (to  1878),  for 
the  five  growing  months  named,  varies  from  a  maximum  of  10^ 
inches,  in  August,  1872,  to  a  minimum  of  0.65  inch,  in  June, 
1873.  During  these  six  years  there  was  not  a  single  season 
when  we  did  not  suffer  more  or  less  from  drought  during  some 
portion  of  the  summer.  Twenty-one  of  the  thirty  months  in 


IRRIGA  TIO1T.  311 

question  had  less  rain-fall  than  six  inches  per  month,  and  the 
average  of  these  twenty-one  months  was  about  3.02  inches  per 
month,  or  only  about  half  of  what  was  needed.  Some  of  the 
protracted  seasons  of  drought  were  almost  entirely  rainless  for 
six  weeks,  during  which  the  weather  was  excessively  hot  and 
windy,  and  vegetation  suffered  extremely  in  consequence." 

Mr.  Philbrick  estimates  that  27,000  gallons,  or  108  tons, 
of  water  are  needed  per  acre  at  each  watering,  which,  in  a 
dry  period,  should  be  repeated  every  five  days.  This  enor- 
mous quantity  leads  him  to  suggest  that  — 

"before  embarking  in  an  enterprise  of  irrigation,  it  would  be 
best  to  make  sure  that  the  source  can  be  depended  upon  for  a 
sufficient  supply  of  water  in  the  driest  seasons  ;  for  it  is  pre- 
cisely at  such  times  that  the  most  water  is  needed.  Ordinary 
springs  and  wells,  therefore,  are  entirely  inadequate  to  furnish 
water  for  anything  more  than  a  small  patch  or  garden.  The 
only  sources  to  be  depended  upon  for  large  areas  are  unfailing 
streams,  lakes,  and  ponds.  There  are  few  gardens  so  favorably 
situated  that  the  water  can  be  drawn  from  canals  and  ditches 
directly  from  some  pond  or  stream.  When  this  can  be  done  it 
is  by  far  the  cheapest  method  ;  and  it  is  in  this  way  that  the 
extensive  irrigating  works  of  Lombardy,  Spain,  France,  Califor- 
nia, and  Colorado  are  constructed.  Where  this  system  is 
adopted,  considerable  expense  is  required  to  grade  the  land  into 
inclined  beds,  so  as  to  distribute  the  water  easily  and  evenly  ; 
but,  once  done,  the  water  is  applied  at  a  very  trifling  cost  —  so 
cheaply  that  it  is  used  for  farm  crops  in  Lombardy  and  the 
South  of  France." 

In  most  instances,  however,  our  land  is  so  located  that  we 
cannot  irrigate  it  by  a  natural  flow  and  fall  of  water.  In 
this  case,  it  may  be  distributed  by  water-carts  and  by  hand. 
This  can  be  done  only  on  a  very  small  scale.  The  cost  in 
time  and  labor  would  be  much  too  great  for  profitable  re- 
turns, and  the  ground  would  be  so  beaten  and  trampled  as 


312  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

to  cause  much  injury.  Such  methods  may  answer  very  well 
for  small  and  well-mulched  fruit  gardens,  making  the  home 
supply  certain  and  large,  but  it  is  inadequate  from  a  business 
point  of  view.  Distributing  water  through  pipes  laid  under- 
ground, beneath  the  plow,  does  not  work  well  at  all,  practi- 
cally, and  is  not  in  accordance  with  nature.  Most  of  the 
water  is  wasted. 

Mr.  Philbrick  continues  :  — 

"The  only  method  of  distributing  water  much  used  in  gardens 
where  pumping  is  practised  is  the  system  of  iron  pipes  laid 
underground,  with  hydrants  distant  200  feet  asunder,  from  which 
the  water  is  distributed  by  loo  feet  of  India  rubber  hose.  This 
is  also  the  plan  adopted  by  gardeners  who  make  use  of  the  pub- 
lic water  supply." 

When  practicable,  such  iron  pipes  should  be  carried  along 
ridges  and  headlands,  so  as  to  let  the  water  flow  where  we 
wish  it  by  gravity  as  far  as  possible. 

"  Where  the  water  has  to  be  distributed  by  hose  and  sprink- 
ler  it  will  be  found  good  economy  to  use  a  powerful  pump,  that 
will  give  a  head  of  at  least  thirty  feet,  and  to  use  for  distribution 
pipes  of  not  less  than  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter ;  pro- 
vided, of  course,  that  any  considerable  area  —  an  acre  or  more 
—  is  to  be  watered.  Thus,  for  example,  we  will  suppose  that 
it  is  required  to  water  five  acres  of  land,  and  that  we  have  near 
by  a  never-failing  pond  or  river ;  we  can  locate  a  steam  pump 
near  the  river,  and,  while  at  work  watering,  we  load  the  safety- 
valve  upon  the  delivering  water  pipe  at  fifteen  pounds  per  square 
inch,  which  corresponds  to  a  head  of  about  thirty  feet  of  water. 
We  have  300  feet  of  iron  pipe,  two  inches  in  diameter,  and  loo 
feet  of  India  rubber  hose,  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  for 
the  delivery  of  the  water.  This  apparatus  would  be  capable  of 
delivering  45  gallons  per  minute,  or  27,000  gallons  per  day  of 
ten  hours,  —  enough  for  the  thorough  wetting  of  one  acre  per 
day,  or  every  acre  of  the  five  once  in  five  days  ;  by  running 
nights,  ten  acres  could  be  watered, 


IRRIGATION.  313 

"  When  only  a  limited  area  is  to  be  watered,  —  less  than  an 
acre,  — the  wind-mill  furnishes  a  cheaper  source  of  power  than 
the  steam  pump.  To  make  it  available,  large  storage  of  water 
must  be  provided  at  a  high  level,  so  that  the  mill  may  work  dur- 
ing stormy  weather  and  store  the  water  until  needed.  A  wind- 
mill, costing  with  pump  and  tank  about  $500,  will  furnish  water 
enough  for  one  or  two  acres  of  land,  provided  storage  can  be 
provided  for  200,000  gallons  of  water.  To  provide  this  storage 
might  cost  as  much  as  a  steam  pump.  Where  elevated  reser- 
voirs can  easily  be  made,  and  the  amount  of  water  needed  is  not 
over  10,000  gallons  daily,  the  wind-mill  is,  without  doubt,  cheaper 
power  than  steam." 

Mr.  Philbrick  shows  conclusively  that  where  a  gardener 
pays  at  the  rate  of  twenty- five  cents  per  1,000  gallons,  or 
even  much  less,  only  crops  approaching  $1,000  per  acre  in 
value  will  warrant  the  outlay.  When  land  can  be  easily 
graded,  and  irrigated  through  canals  and  ditches,  the  yearly 
cost  has  been  reduced,  in  some  cases,  as  low  as  from  one  to 
three  dollars  per  acre  per  year. 

"  Wherever  drainage  is  not  perfect,  it  must  be  made  so  before 
irrigation  can  be  safely  practised  ;  otherwise,  if  a  heavy  fall  of 
rain  should  occur  just  after  application  of  water,  the  plants  might 
suffer  seriously  from  being  too  wet." 

In  the  discussion  which  followed  the  reading  of  this  paper, 
Mr.  John  B.  Moore  said,  among  other  things  :  "  No  crop 
takes  the  moisture  out  of  the  soil  more  quickly  than  straw- 
berries, and,  for  these  and  other  crops  which  soon  suffer 
from  dryness,  he  lets  the  water  run  down  the  rows  all  night 
from  half  a  dozen  large  pipes." 

Hon.  Marshall  T.  Wilder  then  remarked  that  "  the  secret 
how  Mr.  Moore  produced  his  large  strawberries  had  now 
come  out." 

(In  a  letter  'recently  received,  Mr.  Moore  further  states  : 


314  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

"  In  the  garden,  I  have  had  the  best  results  where  I  have 
let  the  water  run  out  of  open  hose  between  the  rows  of 
raspberries,  strawberries,  etc.,  always  making  it  a  rule  to  wet 
the  ground  thoroughly,  and  then  stop,  and  not  apply  any 
more  until  there  is  good  evidence  of  the  soil  needing  it 
again.  A  constant  drizzle  is  detrimental  to  vegetation.") 

Mr.  W.  C.  Strong  said  that  the  "  even  distribution  of 
-water  was  very  important ;  otherwise,  the  ground  became 
sodden  in  places,  and  other  parts  received  no  benefit.  He 
thought  that  considerable  part  of  the  benefit  of  irrigation 
arose  from  showering  the  foliage,  especially  at  night,  as  in  a 
green-house." 

Mr.  Philbrick  said  that  he  applied  water  in  sunshine  some- 
times, but  that  in  general  he  did  not  like  to  do  so.  (I 
would  caution  the  reader  to  be  very  careful  about  wetting 
foliage  under  a  hot  sun,  as  it  often  causes  both  leaves  and 
fruit  to  scald.  I  once  lost  a  crop  of  gooseberries  through  a 
midday  shower,  followed  by  a  hot  afternoon.) 

Mr.  E.  P.  Richardson  had  found  a  hose  perforated  with 
holes  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  about  three  or 
four  inches  apart,  very  convenient  for  applying  water.  It 
can  be  laid  anywhere,  in  a  straight  or  crooked  line,  and 
under  plants  whose  leaves  are  injured  by  watering  in  the 
bright  sun.  Such  a  hose  may  be  left  for  hours  without 
attention. 

In  the  garden  at  Kalamazoo  already  referred  to,  the 
water  was  obtained  by  damming  up  a  spring.  "  The  water 
was  conveyed  in  a  wooden  conduit,  made  of  two-inch  plank, 
and  rendered  water-tight  by  coal  tar."  The  whole  apparatus 
was  very  inexpensive,  and  proves  that  in  many  instances 
the  ingenious  and  enterprising  horticulturist  can  work  out 
a  simple  system  of  his  own  that,  at  slight  cost,  will  answei 
bis  purpose. 


IRRIGA  TION.  3  1 5 

This  chapter  aims  at  little  more  than  to  put  the  reader  on 
the  right  track  for  further  investigation,  and  to  suggest  a  few 
of  the  first  principles  and  requirements  of  irrigation.  The 
great  majority  have  little  realization  of  the  amount  of  water 
required,  and  very  often  much  loss  is  incurred  and  injury 
caused  by  attempting  artificial  watering  with  an  insufficient 
supply.  Mr.  Dunkley,  at  Kalamazoo,  started  with  a  wind- 
mill, but  found  it  wholly  inadequate.  Partial  watering  is 
worse  than  useless.  By  liberal  mulching,  very  much  less 
water  is  required,  and  much  longer  intervals  between  irriga- 
tion may  elapse. 

If  one  designs  to  undertake  irrigation  upon  a  large  scale, 
he  should  employ  the  services  of  an  expert,  and  "  make 
haste  slowly."  At  the  same  time,  many  fruit  farms  are  so 
located,  or  might  be,  that  the  laborer  with  a  pick  and  shovel 
could  solve  the  problem  of  an  abundant  supply  of  water. 

When  unfailing  moisture  can  be  maintained,  and  plants 
are  not  permitted  to  bear  in  June,  nor  to  make  runners,  al- 
most a  full  crop  may  be  obtained  in  the  autumn. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

SUGGESTIVE    EXPERIENCES    FROM   WIDELY   SEPARATED 
LOCALITIES. 

TT  is  often  said  that  there  is  no  teaching  like  experience, 
•*•  and  in  view  of  this  sound  principle  I  am  led  to  quote 
from  a  few  of  the  letters  that  I  have  received.  These  state- 
ments, from  successful  and  intelligent  cultivators,  throw  side 
lights  on  the  preceding  pages  from  various  stand-points.  I 
would  advise  the  reader  to  note  carefully  the  adaptation  of 
different  varieties  to  different  parts  of  the  country.  As  we 
have  just  been  discussing  the  subject  of  irrigation,  I  will 
first  quote  from  California  letters,  since  they  touch  on  this 
topic. 

From  Mr.  James  Shinn's  interesting  communication,  I 
take  the  following  facts  :  — 

NILBS,  ALAMKDA  Co.,  CAL. 

The  greater  part  of  the  strawberries  consumed  in  San  Fran- 
cisco are  grown  in  the  neighborhood  of  San  Jose",  some  fifty 
miles  south  of  the  city.  We  are  situated  about  half-way  be- 
tween, in  the  great  valley  that  borders  the  bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. We  have  occupied  this  place  over  twenty  years,  and 
have  made  observations  upon  the  culture  of  small  fruits,  and 
have  always  grown  more  or  less  ourselves.  While,  therefore,  I 
do  not  claim  to  be  authority  on  the  points  you  inquire  about,  I 
feel  pretty  safe  in  mentioning  one  or  two  things  in  this  connec- 
tion, that  I  can  hardly  be  mistaken  about : 

first — Those  who  plant  extensively  for  market  make  it  a 
sine  qua  non  to  have  at  hand  plenty  of  water ;  except  in  very 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  317 

favored  localities,  they  can't  be  grown  to  profit  without  this  es- 
sential. I  know  that  the  plants  are  planted  on  each  side  of  a 
small  ridge,  previously  thrown  up  for  the  purpose.  The  vines 
along  the  ridge  stand  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  apart.  The  space 
between  the  ridges  allows  three  and  a  half  feet  for  cultivation 
and  water.  The  water  is  allowed  to  run  between  these  ridges, 
and,  of  course,  wets  the  roots  effectually.  It  will  be  perceived 
that  the  ground  must  be  nearly  level.  I  cannot  tell  how  often 
these  rows  are  watered,  but  frequently.  The  proper  season  for 
planting  is  as  early  in  the  winter  as  the  ground  can  be  put  in 
order  —  from  November  ist,  all  winter  —  the  earlier  the  better. 
If  planted  early,  a  fair  crop  of  berries  may  be  expected  the  next 
summer.  For  many  years  the  Longwood's  Prolific  and  Pea- 
body  Seedling  were  the  varieties  generally  grown.  Recently 
some  other  varieties  have  been  introduced,  but  are  mostly  con- 
fined to  the  hands  of  amateurs.  The  Monarch  of  the  West  has, 
however,  certainly  secured  a  strong  foothold  among  the  large 
growers.  This  berry  commanded  a  much  larger  price  in  the 
market  than  the  old  varieties.  I  just  remark  respecting  irriga- 
tion that,  of  course,  as  you  will  see,  the  object  of  planting  upon 
ridges  is  to  place  the  vines  so  high  that  when  the  water  is  let  in, 
the  berries  will  be  above  its  reach.  Nearly  all  our  large  grow- 
ers let  their  fields  to  Chinamen,  who  do  all  the  work,  boarding 
themselves,  for  half  the  net  proceeds. 

SAN  Jos£,  CAL. 

"  In  answer  to  your  letter,  asking  about  irrigation,  I  would 
state  that  in  the  first  place  we  grade  the  land,  after  first  plow- 
ing and  harrowing  it.  We  do  not  like  to  do  too  much  grading. 
If  the  land  is  very  uneven,  we  make  the  rows  conform  to  it, 
bringing  the  water  on  the  highest  portions,  and  cutting  escape 
ditches  through  the  low  parts,  so  that  the  water  can  run  off 
readily.  The  rows  are  made  three  feet  apart,  and  every  alter- 
nate row  is  shovelled  or  plowed  out  to  make  a  shallow  ditch 
about  three  or  four  inches  deep.  Soil  is  thrown  on  or  between 
the  alternate  rows,  making  the  ground  look  like  small  beds. 
The  plants  are  set  in  rows  about  six  inches  from  the  edge  of 
the  ditches.  We  are  now  ready  for  the  water,  which  is  nearly 
W— ROE— XVII 


318  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

all  taken  from  artesian  wells.  The  first  year,  the  plants  do  not 
require  so  much  moisture  ;  but  the  second  year,  we  water  about 
once  a  week.  We  keep  all  runners  cut  off. 

J.  H.  OGIER. 

BROWN'S  VALLEY,  YUBA  Co.,  Cal. 

My  business  is  raising  strawberries  and  blackberries  for 
market,  which  is  eleven  miles  distant,  and  I  send  all  my  fruit 
by  stage.  I  have  experimented  with  all  leading  varieties,  since 
Orange  Judd  introduced  the  Agriculturist,  but  succeed  best  with 
Triomphe  de  Gand,  Longworth's  Prolific,  Jucunda,  and  Colonel 
Cheney.  The  latter  is  rather  soft  to  carry  so  far  to  market.  I 
commence  sending  to  market  about  the  middle  of  April.  About 
the  middle  of  June  the  Triomphe  begins  to  ripen  a  second  crop. 
Last  year  they  were  the  largest  and  finest  berries  I  ever  saw. 
In  September  the  Jucunda  bears  a  third  crop.  From  May  until 
October  we  depend  entirely  on  irrigation.  Our  soil  is  red,  stiff, 
and  heavy.  I  use  abundantly  well-rotted  stable  manure  and 
barn-yard  compost.  I  prepare  by  deep  plowing,  and  then  har- 
rowing. I  then  go  over  the  ground  for  the  plants  with  Hexa- 
mer's  pronged  hoe,  making  the  soil  very  fine.  I  set  the  plants 
two  feet  apart  each  way,  and  where  each  one  is  to  grow,  I  work 
in  a  large  shovelful  of  manure  deeply  and  thoroughly.  I  give 
blackberries  the  same  mode  of  culture,  setting  them  three  feet 
by  eight.  No  winter  protection  is  needed.  In  ordinary  sea- 
sons, there  are  a  few  strawberries  all  winter  long.  Strawberries 
and  blackberries  are  very  productive,  and  enormous  in  size,  but 
currants,  gooseberries,  and  red  raspberries  do  not  succeed  in 
this  region,  the  long  and  intensely  hot  and  dry  season  being 
unfavorable. 

JOHN  PALMER. 

NEW  CASTLE,  Cal. 

The  President  Wilder  is  the  finest  flavored  berry  we  have 
ever  tasted,  and  it  is  the  most  attractive  in  color  of  all.  The 
Jucunda  does  not  do  well  on  our  light  soil.  The  Monarch  is 
splendid.  We  grow  raspberries  quite  extensively,  our  climate 
and  location  being  better  adapted  to  them,  perhaps,  than  any 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  319 

other  part  of  California.  The  earliest  berry  with  us  is  the  Red 
Antwerp  (probably  the  English).  It  is  a  week  earlier  than  the 
Franconia.  The  Herstine  is  a  fine  berry  every  way,  except 
as  regards  firmness.  The  cap  varieties  are  inferior  in  flavor 
here. 

C.  M.  SILVA  &  SON. 

From  other  sources  I  learn  that  the  Triomphe  de  Gand  and 
Seth  Boyden  are  among  the  chief  favorites  in  California. 

Mr.  Felix  Gillet,  Nevada  City,  Cal.,  author  of  an  excel- 
lent little  treatise  on  the  culture  of  the  strawberry 'in  his  re- 
gion, says :  "  The  row  and  hill  system  is  certainly  the  best 
of  all,  especially  to  raise  large,  fine  fruit.  The  rows  should 
be  two  feet  apart,  or  thirty-six  inches,  if  irrigating  by  run- 
ning water  in  each  row  as  it  is  done  in  California.  The 
plants  should  be  set,  the  large-growing  sorts  two  feet  from 
each  other  in  the  row,  the  smaller  ones  from  twelve  to  eigh- 
teen inches." 

AUSTIN,  TEXAS. 

I  put  in  water-works,  and  it  is  the  best  investment  I  ever 
made.  I  supply  Austin  with  vegetables  the  whole  year  round. 
It  was  very  dry  last  year,  but  I  loaded  three  wagons  with  vege- 
tables every  day.  We  watered  twenty  acres  regularly,  and  will 
water  thirty  this  year.  I  am  making  a  large  reservoir  on  a  hill, 
which  will  be  supplied  from  a  large  well  through  a  six-inch  pipe. 
I  use  Knowles's  steam  pump,  30  horse-power,  capable  of  pump- 
ing 750,000  gallons  daily.  Of  strawberries,  the  Kentucky  Seed- 
ling can  stand  the  most  heat  and  drought.  Crescent  Seedling 
looks  well  here,  also  the  Forest  Rose.  Raspberries,  currants, 
and  gooseberries  cannot  be  raised.  We  plant  strawberries  one 
foot  apart  in  the  row,  and  the  rows  are  three  feet  apart.  We 
mulch  early  in  spring,  and  cultivate  by  horse-power  after  the 
bearing  season  is  over.  I  regard  cow  manure,  leaf  mold,  and 
bone  flour  as  the  best  fertilizers.  I  consider  fall,  October  or 
November,  as  the  best  time  for  planting. 

WILLIAM  RADAM 


32O  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

PALESTINE,  TEXAS. 

The  Charles  Downing,  Seth  Boyden,  and  President  Wilder 
have  done  well.  The  Charles  Downing  has  flourished  as  though 
native  and  to  the  manner  born.  The  Kentucky  has  done  remark- 
ably well;  the  Wilson  not  so  well.  Raspberries,  on  the  whole, 
have  done  well,  but  currants  and  gooseberries  will  not  survive. 
The  strawberries  have  done  better  than  I  hoped.  I  have  al- 
ways looked  upon  the  strawberry  as  a  semi-aquatic  plant,  and 
this  view  has  been  strengthened  by  an  account  of  a  wonderful 
crop  produced  in  this  region  by  abundant  and  systematic  water- 
ing. The- great  difficulty  against  which  we  have  to  contend  is 
the  prolonged  summer,  when,  for  weeks,  the  thermometer  ranges 
from  90°  to  95°  in  the  shade.  To  this  must  be  added  spells  of 
dry  weather,  lasting  sometimes  for  six  or  eight  consecutive  weeks 
in  July,  August,  and  September. 

D.  S.  H.  SMITH. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  LA. 

Experienced  cultivators  prepare  for  strawberries  by  thorough 
plowing  and  subsoiling.  We  cultivate  by  subsoil  plow,  cultiva- 
tor, and  hoe,  with  no  stones  to  impede  our  work.  The  bearing 
season  lasts  about  90  days.  I  have  had  two  full  crops  in  the 
same  season.  The  best  time  to  plant  is,  ist,  in  August;  2d, 
in  December.  The  Wilson  and  Charles  Downing  do  well.  The 
black-cap  raspberries  succeed ;  the  red  raspberries  are  thus  far 
a  failure.  Blackberries  do  very  well. 

D.  M.  WIGGINS, 

Agricultural  editor,  "  N.  O.  Time*." 

Mr.  H.  W.  Lamb,  of  Colorado  Springs,  writes  me  that 
strawberries  and  the  hardy  red  raspberries  do  well  in  his 
section.  They  regard  sheep  manure  as  one  of  the  best 
fertilizers.  Dr.  Samuel  Hape,  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  writes  :  — 

In  reply  to  your  favor,  I  would  say  that  strawberries  ancf 
blackberries  do  splendidly  here,  raspberries  moderately,  and  cur- 
rants and  gooseberries  as  exceptions  ;  grapes  finely. 

Our  soils  are  mostly  loam,  with  some  sand,  and  a  clay  sub- 
soil. Bottom  lands  have  the  usual  deposits  of  muck  and  par- 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  32! 

tially  decomposed  vegetable  matter.  The  damp,  rich  soil,  of 
course,  suits  strawberries  and  blackberries ;  though  the  latter 
grow  wild  to  such  perfection,  and  in  such  abundance,  as  to  do 
away  with  cultivation  almost  entirely.  The  red  raspberry  does 
not  succeed  very  well  as  a  rule.  While  damp,  under-drained 
soil  and  sandy  loam  are  best  for  strawberries,  the  dry  uplands 
have  almost  invariably  produced  well.  As  to  fertilizers,  well- 
decomposed  stable  manure  and  bone  meal  have  done  the  best 
with  us. 

No  winter  protection  is  needed.  The  fall,  with  us,  is  the 
best  season  to  transplant  strawberries,  by  all  odds,  —  as  soon  as 
the  September  rains  set  in. 

DR.  SAMUEL  HAPE. 

JACKSONVILLE,  FLA.,  Dec.  23,  1878. 

With  pleasure,  I  answer  your  questions  to  the  best  of  my 
ability.  I.  What  varieties  of  small  fruits  do  best  in  your  local- 
ity ?  Strawberries  and  blackberries  do  well,  but  owing  to  the 
abundance  of  wild  fruit,  late  and  early,  the  blackberry  is  not 
cultivated  largely.  No  other  small  fruits  have  been  fairly  tried. 
The  general  opinion  is  that  our  warm  weather  lasts  too  long  for 
the  raspberry,  gooseberry,  and  currant.  I  have  given  the  rasp- 
berry a  trial,  and  cannot  recommend  it.  2.  What  soils  are  best 
adapted  to  them  ?  We  have  two  soils  on  which  the  strawberry 
thrives,  the  low  hummock  bordering  on  the  river.  It  is  rich  in 
vegetable  and  mineral  matter  —  clay  from  two  to  four  feet  under 
surface.  The  next  is  our  pine  land  ;  soil  light,  and  of  grayish 
color,  nearly  devoid  of  vegetable  matter,  but  largely  supplied 
with  lime  and  potash.  Strawberries  and  blackberries  do  well 
on  this  soil.  We  have  what  is  termed  high  hummock.  It  is  a 
yellow  loam,  with  clay,  varying  from  two  to  six  feet  from  surface. 
The  orange,  peach,  grape,  fig,  quince  and  plum  do  well  on  this 
soil.  3.  What  is  your  mode  of  culture  ?  For  strawberries,  I 
lay  off  beds,  slightly  raised,  8  feet  wide.  On  each  bed  I  put 
four  rows  of  plants,  running  the  full  length  of  beds.  For  Wil- 
sons, rows  18  inches,  and  12  inches  between  plants ;  Charles 
Downing,  and  Seth  Boyden,  18  by  18  inches.  Cover  all  the 
space  with  pine-needles  by  the  time  warm  weather  sets  in,  and 


322  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

shade  their  fruit  from  the  hot  sun.  I  cultivate  with  a  small 
hand  cultivator,  partly  invented  by  myself,  and  by  hoeing. 
4.  What  fertilizer  do  you  consider  most  efficient?  A  compost 
of  stable  manure,  muck,  and  potash.  5.  What  winter  protection 
do  you  give,  if  any  ?  None  needed.  For  summer  protection, 
pine  straw  between  plants  ;  this  answers  a  double  purpose,  —  to 
keep  the  fruit  clean,  also  to  protect  the  plants  in  warm,  dry 
weather,  and  retain  moisture.  6.  Do  you  consider  spring  or 
fall  the  best  season  for  planting  in  your  locality  ?  If  I  have 
home-grown  plants,  I  prefer  planting  from  last  of  August  to  first 
of  December.  Northern  plants,  unless  grown  in  pots,  do  best 
if  obtained  in  November  or  December.  I  will  add  here,  for 
your  information,  Wilson's  Albany  is  very  shy  of  making  run- 
ners for  the  first  year  or  two  after  coming  from  the  North.  Seth 
Boyden  and  Charles  Downing  take  possession  of  the  ground 
after  fruiting  is  over. 

WILLIAM  JAMES. 

Mr.  P.  J.  Berkmans,  the  well-known  horticulturist  of 
Augusta,  Ga.,  informed  me  that  the  Kentucky,  Charles 
Downing,  and  Crescent  endured  the  southern  sun  well,  and 
that  the  Captain  Jack  and  Sharpless  were  fine  with  them ; 
all  the  purple  cane  and  black-cap  raspberries  did  well,  but 
none  of  the  foreign  kinds  thrived.  Mr.  Berkmans  remarked 
that,  even  after  ten  years  of  bearing,  he  hesitated  to  express 
a  positive  opinion  concerning  a  fruit,  so  great  are  the  differ- 
ences caused  by  location  and  soil.  It  is  your  young  men 
that  have  been  two  or  three  years  in  the  business,  who  have 
positive  opinions  on  every  subject. 

In  the  suburbs  of  Savannah,  Ga.,  I  found  three  quarters 
of  an  acre  of  strawberries  that  had  yielded  a  clear  profit  of 
#800  in  one  season.  The  preparation  and  culture  for  this 
profitable  crop  were  as  follows  :  A  good  coat  of  manure  was 
spread  early  in  spring  and  plowed  under.  Cow-peas  were 
then  sown  and  plowed  under  in  August,  when  another  coat 
of  manure  was  harrowed  in.  Planting  was  commenced 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  323 

August  to,  and  the  plants  set  fourteen  inches  from  each 
other,  in  beds  with  alleys  between,  twenty-eight  inches  wide. 
They  were  worked  with  a  cultivator,  mulched  with  pine  straw 
in  January,  and  stimulated  from  time  to  time  with  liquid 
manure.  The  fact  that  they  secured  a  good  home  market 
accounts,  in  part,  for  the  large  profit. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Captain  Sigwald,  himself  a  suc- 
cessful horticulturist,  I  was  able  to  visit  many  strawberry 
plantations  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  will  give 
a  few  statistics  from  one  of  the  most  flourishing.  The  plants 
were  vigorous,  and  the  long  rows  clean  and  free  from  run- 
ners. The  best  plants  had  been  set  out  in  the  preceding 
September.  The  force  employed  to  set  five  and  a  half  acres 
was :  five  hands  taking  up  the  plants  with  a  large  patent 
transplanter,  that  brought  away  a  ball  of  earth  with  the  roots  ; 
five  more  laborers  "toting,"  or  carrying  on  handbarrows, 
the  plants  from  the  propagating  bed  to  the  fruiting  field, 
and  four  planting.  The  expense  of  planting  was  $15  per 
acre.  From  the  five  and  a  half  acres,  there  were  shipped 
to  New  York  15,200  quarts,  on  which  the  freight,  at  fifteen 
cents  per  quart,  amounted  to  $2,280.  Commission  on  sales 
was  $413,  —  leaving  a  balance  of  only  $1,670,  and  out  of 
this  all  other  expenses  had  to  come.  Thus  it  may  be  seen 
that  the  expense  of  marketing  the  crop  was  greater  than  the 
expense  of  growing  it  and  the  net  profit  combined,  —  a  con- 
dition of  things  that  should  not  last.  The  freight  has  been 
reduced  to  ten  cents  per  quart  this  year,  I  understand. 

The  Monarch  seems  peculiarly  adapted  to  East  Tennes- 
see, and  Mr.  Ed.  S.  Sheppard,  who  first  introduced  them, 
found  a  sensation  resulting  that  in  its  proportions  resembled 
the  mammoth  berry. 

The  Crystal  City  and  Captain  Jack  are  favorite  varieties 
in  Missouri. 


324 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 


For  the  latitude  and  climate  of  New  York,  and  westward, 
much  suggestion  has  been  given  already. 

Mr.  J.  T.  Lovett,  of  Little  Silver,  N.  J.,  gives  the  follow- 
ing list  as  the  best  selection  for  their  light  sandy  soils  :  — 


FOR   THE   HOME   GARDEN. 

Strawberries. 
French's    Seedling  —  best    early 

crop. 
Charles  Downing  —  best  medium, 

or  main  crop. 
Kentucky  —  best  late. 

Red  Raspberries. 

Herstine  —  best  early.1 

Turner — best  entirely  hardy  early. 

Cuthbert  —  best  medium  and  late. 

Black-cap  Raspberries. 
Doolittle's  Improved  —  best  early. 


Mammoth  Cluster  • 
and  late. 


•  best  medium 


Mammoth  Blackberries. 
Wilson's  Early  —  best  early. 
Kittatinny  —  best  main  crop. 

Currants. 

Cherry  —  best  red. 
Red  Dutch  —  best  for    culinary 

purposes. 

White  Grape  — best  white. 
Victoria  —  best  late. 
Black  Naples  —  best  black. 


Gooseberries. 


Downing. 


FOR   MARKET  —  OF  VALUE  IN 
THE   ORDER   NAMED. 


Strawberries. 

Wilson's  Albany,  )  For  shipment. 
Captain  Jack,         ) 
Crescent  Seedling,  "\ 
Charles  Downing,  v.  For  near  mar 
Downer's  Prolific,  j 


ket 


Red  Raspberries. 
Cuthbert. 
Brandywine. 

Black-cap  RaspberritS. 

Mammoth  Cluster. 
Doolittle's  Improved. 

Blackberries. 

Kittatinny. 
Wilson's  Early.2 

Currants. 
Cherry, 
Red  Dutch. 
Black  Naples. 

Gooseberries. 
Downing. 
Houghton  Seedling. 


1  "  Requires  winter  protection  to  insure  a  crop." 

2  "  In  former  years  this  was  the  most  profitable  of  all  sorts,  but  latterly  it 
is  so  frequently  injured  by  winter,  and  so  generally  attacked  by  disease  or  in- 
sects throughout  the  State,  as  to  render  it  uncertain." 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  325 

In  the  Sixth  Annual  Report  of  the  N.  J.  State  Board  of 
Agriculture  I  find  the  following  interesting  statement  from 
the  well-known  horticulturist,  Mr.  P.  T.  Quinn. 

ONE   ACRE   OF   STRAWBERRIES. 

NEWARK,  October,  1878. 

The  following  are  the  methods  of  culture  and  the  products 
of  one  acre  of  strawberries,  grown  on  my  farm  near  Newark, 
during  the  season  of  1878.  The  ground  on  which  these  straw- 
berries were  grown  was  planted  with  Early  Rose  potatoes  and 
heavily  manured  in  the  spring  of  1877.  These  potatoes  were 
dug  and  marketed  during  the  last  week  in  July  and  first  week 
in  August  of  the  same  year.  The  ground  was  at  once  cleared 
off,  plowed  and  harrowed  smoothly.  Furrows  were  then  opened 
four  or  five  inches  deep  and  two  and  a  half  feet  apart.  Between 
the  isth  and  22d  of  August,  1877,  the  strawberry  plants  were 
set  in  these  furrows  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  apart,  with- 
out any  manure  being  added.  Some  plants  died  here  and  there, 
but  the  bulk  of  those  set  out  made  a  strong  growth  before  cold 
weather.  They  were  kept  free  from  weeds  by  running  a  cultiva- 
to«  twice  between  the  rows  and  hoeing  twice.  This  treatment 
kepi  the  ground  absolutely  free  from  weeds.  In  the  middle  of 
December,  the  plants  were  covered  over  with  a  compost  of  the 
sweepings  of  the  vegetable  and  fish  markets,  with  some  horse 
manure  mixed  through  it.  The  whole  was  thoroughly  decayed 
and  light  in  character.  About  the  middle  of  April,  1878,  the 
coarsest  part  of  this  mulch  was  raked  off  the  strawberry  plants, 
and  left  in  the  spaces  between  the  rows,  the  finer  portion  being 
left  among  the  plants.  To  the  coarse  part  raked  off. was  added 
salt  hay,  pressed  under  the  leaves  of  the  plants  on  either  side  of 
the  rows,  enough  being  added  to  keep  the  soil  around  the  plants 
moist  and  the  fruit  free  from  grit.  There  was  no.  disturbance 
of  the  soil  in  any  way  in  the  spring,  beyond  the  cutting  off  at 
the  surface  of  a  few  straggling  weeds  that  started  up  here  and 
there. 

The  varieties  grown  upon  this  acre  were  Charles  Down- 
ing and  Green  Prolific,  and  the  yield  was  five  thousand  four 


526  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

hundred  and  eighty-seven  (5,487)  quarts.  The  gross  receipts 
from  this  acre  of  berries  was  sevea  hundred  and  ninety-five 
dollars  and  sixty-one  cents  ($795.61).  Deducting  the  commis- 
sions and  picking  the  fruit,  the  net  returns  were  $620.60. 

Messrs.  Gibson  and  Bennett,  of  New  Jersey,  stated  before 
the  Western  New  York  Horticultural  Society,  that  they 
"  liked  the  bedding  system,  say  four-row  beds,  with  plants 
one  foot  apart  each  way,  and  two-feet  walks  between  the 
beds.  We  fertilize  with  fine  horse  manure,  spreading  it 
heavily  and  plowing  it  under.  We  start  plants  in  pots,  and 
transfer  them  to  the  beds  in  September,  the  earlier  the  bet- 
ter. These  potted  plants  form  fine  large  crowns,  ready  for 
the  finest  fruit.  The  beds  are  covered  with  manure  January  i. 
The  fruit  is  picked  the  following  June,  and  the  beds  then 
plowed  under  at  once,  and  planted  with  other  crops." 

By  this  system,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  plants  occupy  the 
ground  but  about  ten  months,  and  little  or  no  cultivation  is 
given.  It  is  practically  the  same  method  as  that  employed 
around  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  could 
often  be  practised  at  the  North  with  great  profit.  In  con- 
trast, Mr.  J.  K.  Sharpless  said,  on  thj  same  occasion,  "  We 
grow  in  the  hill  system,  and  expect  the  plants  to  last  four  or 
five  years ;  "  adding,  "  My  experience  teaches  me  that 
strawberries  should  not  be  cultivated  deeply  until  their  sea- 
son of  rest  is  over,  say  the  last  of  August."  I  think  this 
view  sound. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Underbill,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  said  that 
he  "  valued  the  Golden  Defiance  for  late  fruit.  The  Glen- 
dale  is  more  vigorous.  I  think  highly  of  the  Champion  and 
Kentucky.  The  Duncan  is  our  best  early  of  those  well 
tested.  As  the  mid-market  in  this  section  will  probably  be 
glutted  with  Crescents,  I  shall  take  great  pains  with  the 
Cumberland  Triumph,  which,  picked  in  pints  (on  account 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  $2? 

Of  its  softness),  will  yield  almost  as  well,  and  bring  more 
dollars  than  any  sort  I  have  tested  yet." 

From  Mr.  Frank  S.  Ailing  I  learn  that  all  the  small  fruits 
succeed  finely  on  the  shores  of  Puget  Sound,  Washington 
Territory. 

I  will  close  this  chapter  of  experiences  with  a  very  inter- 
esting letter  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  A.  A.  Von  Iffland,  of  Quebec, 
who  gives  an  admirable  statement  of  the  conditions  of  suc- 
cess in  the  latitude  of  Northern  Canada.  It  will  be  seen 
that  his  light,  warm  soil  makes  a  difference  of  several  degrees 
of  latitude  in  his  favor. 

"  My  soil  is  of  a  light,  gravelly  nature,  with  a  subsoil  of  coarse 
sand.  It  requires  annual  applications  of  large  quantities  of  ma- 
nure to  bring  about  the  best  results,  but  then  yields  generous 
returns.  It  is  warm  and  quick,  and  so  porous  that  it  can  be 
worked  almost  immediately  after  the  heaviest  showers.  Plants 
form  roots  in  this  soil  with  marvellous  rapidity.  All  kinds  of 
vegetables  can  be  successfully  cultivated.  Potatoes,  tomatoes, 
squash,  corn,  carrots,  parsnips,  melons,  cucumbers,  beans,  and 
peas  are  grown  to  perfection.  Of  course,  it  is  liable  to  suffer 
severely  in  a  drought, —  an  evil  which  I  find  is  best  obviated  by 
plenty  of  barn-yard  manure  and  cultivation.  The  climate  is 
doubtless  severe,  and  the  winters  long,  but  the  abundance  of 
snow  affords  the  best  kind  of  protection  and  is  of  the  greatest 
possible  advantage  in  the  culture  of  small  fruits.  Winter  sets 
in  with  us  sometimes  as  early  as  the  first  of  November,  some- 
times not  till  the  middle  of  December,  and  the  snow  has  not 
disappeared  from  the  vicinity  of  the  fences  till  the  last  week  in 
April.  The  average  depth  of  snow  is  4^  feet,  and  we  have  cold 
spells  of  three  or  four  days  at  a  time,  when  the  glass  varies 
between  20  and  30  degrees  below  zero. 

"  STRAWBERRIES. 

"  I  think  that  all  the  varieties  which  are  cultivated  in  the 
United  States  can  be  cultivated  here  under  the  same  conditions  of 


328  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

soil.  I  grow  successfully  the  Colonel  Cheney,  Triomphe  de 
Gand,  Wilson,  Charles  Downing,  Nicanor,  Green  Prolific,  Mon- 
arch of  the  West,  Seth  Boyden,  but  have  discarded  Jucunda  and 
Kentucky.  I  have  the  greatest  success  with  the  Cheney, 
Charles  Downing,  Wilson,  and  Triomphe,  in  the  order  written. 
I  plant  both  in  fall  and  spring,  but  prefer  fall  setting  when  it 
can  be  done  early  and  you  have  good  plants. 

"  I  used  to  strike  plants  in  three-inch  pots,  but  have  aban- 
doned that  plan,  and  instead,  lay  the  runners  as  early  as  I  can 
get  them  (from  ist  to  2oth  July),  and  when  well  rooted,  set 
them  out,  with  a  ball  of  earth,  from  I5th  to  2oth  August.  If  the 
season  is  at  all  moist,  so  that  the  young  plants  make  good  pro- 
gress before  the  frosts  set  in  (about  middle  of  October),  I  get  a 
good  crop  ( half  a  full  crop)  the  following  summer.  From  plants 
set  in  the  spring,  I  take  no  fruit.  With  this  exception,  fall  and 
spring  settings  are  treated  alike.  As  the  cultivation  is  all  done  by 
hand,  I  have  found  that  planting  in  beds  of  three  rows  each  com- 
bines the  greatest  advantages.  The  rows  are  15  inches  apart,  and 
the  plants  18  inches  apart  in  the  row  —  in  the  quincunx  form ; 
each  bed  is  separated  from  the  rest  by  a  path  30  inches  wide.  I 
need  not  say  that  the  soil  has  been  previously  well  enriched — with 
compost,  generally,  and  well-decomposed  manure.  In  fact,  as  I 
usually  plant  on  soil  from  which  a  crop  of  potatoes  has  been  re- 
moved, the  ground  has  received  two  applications  the  year  the 
plants  are  set.  As  the  Colonel  Cheney  is  my  favorite,  in  order 
to  fertilize  it,  I  plant  alternate  beds  of  some  good  staminate  va- 
riety, Charles  Downing,  Triomphe,  or  Wilson.  The  cultivation 
of  the  young  plants  the  first  season  consists  in  cutting  off  any 
runners  that  may  form,  and  keeping  them  clear  of  weeds. 
When  well  established,  the  beds  are  top-dressed  with  an  inch  or 
two  of  old  manure  ;  this  feeds  the  plants,  keeps  the  soil  about 
the  roots  moist,  and  acts  as  a  mulch  when  the  fruit  sets,  and 
yields  the  following  summer.  The  following  spring  and  sum- 
mer, nothing  is  done  to  these  beds  till  after  fruiting,  except  to 
hoe  out  the  weeds.  After  fruiting,  a  thorough  weeding  is  ef- 
tected,  and  the  runners  are  cut  every  three  weeks  ;  and  before 
the  frosts  set  in,  the  beds  are  given  a  top-dressing  of  old  manure. 
After  the  second  crop  of  fruit  is  taken  off,  they  are  weeded, 


SUGGESTIVE  EXPERIENCES.  329 

snd  the  runners  are  allowed  to  strike.  The  third  spring,  wood- 
ashes  are  applied ;  and  after  fruiting  the  plants  are  turned 
under.  No  winter  protection  is  given  to  the  plants,  unless  you 
except  the  top-dressing  of  manures ;  but  this  is  sometimes  not 
applied  till  spring,  and  I  observe  no  appreciable  difference 
between  the  plants  with  and  those  without  it.  What  I  do  ob- 
serve is  that  an  early  winter,  and  plenty  of  snow,  kills  fewer  plants 
than  a  winter  in  which  the  snow-falls  have  been  delayed  till 
after  frosts  and  rains. 

"  Strawberries  begin  to  ripen  with  us  about  the  28th  of  June, 
and  raspberries  about  the  ifth  of  July.  With  the  above  treat- 
ment, I  have  grown  Wilsons  and  Cheneys  at  the  rate  of  11,000 
quarts,  or  344  bushels,  to  the  acre. 


"  RASPBERRIES. 

"  I  prefer  fall  planting,  which  may  be  done  as  late  as  they  can 
be  put  in.  I  have  set  them  the  last  day  of  October,  without  los- 
ing one.  I  plant  them  four  feet  apart,  but  five  would  be  better, 
and  tie  the  canes,  when  grown,  to  stakes  four  and  a  half  feet 
high.1  Sometimes  I  have  laid  them  down,  and  sometimes 
have  tied  up  the  young  canes  to  the  stakes  in  the  fall,  and  I  find 
but  little  difference.  They  always  bear,  and  are  never  winter- 
killed. 

"As  to  blackberries,  I  have  but  little  experience.  That  black- 
berries will  succeed  here,  some  canes  I  saw  I5th  August,  in  a 
friend's  garden,  some  two  miles  from  my  house,  afford  ample 
proof.  They  were  loaded  with  clusters  of  magnificent,  large, 
luscious  fruit,  and  were  equally  prolific  last  year.  My  friend 
told  me  he  was  obliged  to  give  them  very  warm  protection ;  lit- 
erally bury  them  in  straw  and  earth. 

"  Red  and  black  currants  grow  well  with  us,  under  ordinary 
treatment.  Gooseberries,  however,  are  liable  to  mildew ;  that  is, 
the  English  varieties.  The  native  and  hybrids,  of  course,  are 
safe  enough.  Still,  under  some  conditions,  I  have  seen  the 

1  "  The  following  fall,  of  course ;  when  planted,  the  canes  are  OSt 
back,  so  as  to  be  only  six  inches  above  ground." 


33O  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

English  varieties  without  a  touch  of  mildew.  My  English  vari- 
eties mildewed  badly  this  summer,  and  the  man  from  whom  I 
got  them  says  that  he  has  never  seen  it  in  his  garden,  not  far 
from  me.  I  went  to  see  his  bushes,  and  there  was  not  a  sign  of 
mildew  affecting  his  gooseberries,  which  were  very  large  and 
line." 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

A   FEW   RULES   AND  'MAXIMS. 

O  UGGESTIVE  experiences  and  the  methods  of  successful 
^  men  are  usually  far  more  helpful  than  a  system  of  rules. 
Nevertheless,  I  have  thought  that  some  concise  maxims  and 
formulas  would  be  of  use  to  those  not  yet  well  versed  in  the 
labors  of  a  fruit  farm.  Such  rules,  also,  may  be  of  service 
to  the  unfortunates  who  are  dependent  on  the  "  hired  man," 
since,  they  can  be  copied  and  given  to  this  minister  of  des- 
tiny whose  hands  work  out  our  weal  or  woe  so  largely. 
There  are  two  types  of  workmen  that  are  incorrigible.  The 
one  slashes  away  with  his  hap-hazard  hoe,  while  he  looks 
and  talks  in  another  direction.  His  tongue,  at  least,  is 
rarely  idle,  and  his  curiosity  awakes  when  he  does.  If  any 
one  or  anything  goes  by,  he  must  watch  it  while  in  sight  and 
then  comment  and  expectorate.  He  is  not  only  versed  in 
all  the  coarse  gossip  concerning  his  neighbors,  but  also  can 
talk  by  the  hour  of  the  short-comings  of  even  their  horses 
and  dogs.  The  virtues  of  man  or  beast,  however,  make 
but  little  impression  on  what  answers  in  his  organism  for  a 
mind.  That  which  is  good,  wholesome,  and  refined  interests 
him  no  more  than  strawberries  would  a  buzzard.  To  the 
degree  that  he  is  active,  he  usually  makes  havoc.  The 
weeds  do  not  suffer  seriously  from  his  efforts,  but  if  you  have 
a  few  choice  plants,  a  single  specimen  or  two  of  something 
unpurchasable  and  rare,  or  a  seedling  that  you  dream  may 
have  a  future,  the  probabilities  are  that,  unless  watched  and 


332  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

warned,  he  will  extirpate  them  utterly.  It  rarely  happens  that 
you  can  teach  this  type  of  man  better  things.  The  leopard 
may  change  his  spots  and  the  Ethiopian  his  skin,  but  this 
man  —  though  resembling  both  outwardly,  through  his  un- 
cleanliness  —  never  changes.  His  blunders,  garrulity,  and 
brainless  labor,  however,  would  transform  Izaak  Walton 
himself  into  a  dragon  of  irritability.  The  effort  to  reform 
such  a  man  would  be  heroic,  indeed,  but  let  those  who  enter 
upon  such  a  task  give  their  whole  souls  to  it,  and  not  at- 
tempt gardening  at  the  same  time,  — unless  the  garden  is 
maintained  for  the  sake  of  the  man,  and  they,  in  their 
zeal,  approach  Titania  in  her  midsummer-night's  madness, 
when  she  bade  her  attendant  fairies  to  "  feed  "  the  "  trans- 
lated "  weaver  — 

"  With  apricocks  and  dewberries, 
With  purple  grapes,  green  figs,  and  mulberries." 

This  degenerate  descendant  of  Bottom,  however,  needs  no 
such  considerate  attention;  he  will  help  himself  to  the 
choicest  and  rarest. 

Scarcely  better  than  the  type  portrayed  above  is  the  delib- 
erate workman,  who  can  soon  show  you  how  easy  it  is  to 
spend  two  dollars  in  order  to  make  one.  His  wages  —  the 
one  thing  he  is  prompt  about  —  will  leave  little  margin  of 
profit  on  the  berries  that  he  has  packed,  although,  by  reason  of 
his  ancient  pipe,  they  may  outrank  all  the  fruit  in  the  mar- 
ket. This  man  never  walks  nor  runs,  no  matter  how  great 
the  emergency  and  press  of  work ;  he  merely  jogs  around, 
and  picks  a  raspberry  as  he  would  pry  out  a  bowlder.  He  does 
his  work  fairly  well,  usually ;  but  the  fact  that  it  would  re- 
quire a  hundred  such  men  to  care  for  a  small  place  causes 
not  the  slightest  solicitude.  He  would  smoke  just  as  stolidly 
and  complacently  after  bringing  wreck  and  ruin  to  a  dozen 
employers. 


A  FEW  RULES  AND  MAXIMS.  333 

Men  of  these  types  are  as  disastrous  on  a  fruit  farm  as 
the  Lachnosterna  or  currant  worm.  Unless  the  reader  has 
far  more  native  goodness  and  acquired  grace  than  the  writer, 
he  had  better  dismiss  them  speedily,  or  his  feelings  may  re- 
semble those  that  Sam  Jubilee  described  on  page  1 6 8.  I 
have  given  two  extreme  examples,  but  there  are  also  grada- 
tions of  these  characters,  who  had  better  find  employment 
from  those  requiring  "  hands  "  only.  Successful  work  on  a 
fruit  farm,  or  in  a  garden,  requires  a  quick  brain,  a  keen  eye, 
a  brisk  step  and  a  deft  hand.  Many  of  its  labors  are  light, 
and  no  profit  can  follow  unless  they  are  performed  with  de- 
spatch, at  the  right  time  and  in  the  right  way. 

The  majority  of  those  we  employ  wish  to  do  right  and  to 
give  satisfaction.  They  are  not  only  willing  but  are  glad  to 
learn ;  and  while  only  actual  and  long-continued  experience 
can  make  a  thorough  gardener,  perhaps  the  following  rules, 
maxims,  and  principles,  embodying  the  experience  of  others, 
may  be  of  service  to  beginners,  giving  them  a  start  in  the 
right  direction : — 

1 .  Never  put  off  till  spring  work  that  might  be  done  im 
the  fall.     Spring  is  always  too  short  for  the  labor  it  brings, 
even  when  not  wet  and  late. 

2.  Plow  in  the  fall  all  heavy,  loamy  land  that  you  intend 
to  plant  in  spring.     This  exposes  it  to  the  action  of  frost, 
and  if  done  late,  tends  to  destroy  insects  and  their  larvae. 
Do  not  plow  sand  in  the  fall  unless  there  is  upon  it  sod, 
stubble,  etc.,  that  is  to  decay. 

3.  Top-dress  very  light  land  with  an  inch  or  two  of  clay 
or  heavy  loam  in  November,  and  let  the  winter  frosts  and 
rains  blend  the  two  diverse  soils  to  their  mutual  advantage. 
Harrowing  in  fertilizers  on  light  ground  is  better  than  plow- 
ing them  in. 

4.  In  the  fall  top-dress  all  the  small  fruits  with  com- 


334  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

post,  bone-dust  or  other  fertilizers  that  have  staying  powers, 
spreading  it  along  close  to  the  rows  and  over  the  roots,  and 
working  it  into  the  soil  lightly  by  cultivation.  This  gives 
everything  a  vigorous  start  in  the  spring. 

5 .  If  possible,  take  out  before  winter  all  perennial  weeds, 
—  sorrel,  white  clover,  etc.,  —  but  do  not  greatly  disturb  the 
roots  of  strawberries,  just  on  the  approach  of  winter. 

6.  In    most    localities    and    soils,    raspberries,    currants, 
gooseberries,  and  blackberries  do  better  if  planted  any  time 
after  they  drop  their  foliage  in  the  fall.     Such  planting  can 
be  continued  even  into  the  winter,  on  mild,  still  days,  when 
frost  is  neither  in  the  air  nor  soil.      Frozen  earth  should 
never  come  in  contact  with  roots.    I  plant  strawberries,  also, 
all  through  the  autumn,  even  into  December ;  and  before  the 
ground  freezes,  hoe  upon  them  one  or  two  inches  of  soil, 
raking  it  off  as  soon  as  freezing  weather  is  over  in  the  spring. 

7.  The  earlier  plants  are  set  out  in  spring,  the  better,  if 
the  ground  and  weather  are  suitable.     It  is  usually  best  to 
wait  till  the  danger  of  severe  frost  is  over.     Do  not  plant 
when  the  ground  is  wet  and  sticky,  or  dry  and  lumpy,  at 
any  season,  if  it  can  be  helped.     Do  not  plant  in  a  high, 
hot  or  cold  wind.     Make  the  most  of  mild,  still,  and  cloudy 
days.     If  plants  can  be  set  before  a  storm  or  shower,  much 
is  gained ;  but  this  is  not  essential  if  roots  are  imbedded 
their  whole  length  in  moist   (not  wet)  earth,  and  the  soil 
made  very  firm  around  them.     Plantings  may  be  made  in 
very  dry  weather  if  the  land  is  forked  or  plowed  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and    the  plants   set   immediately  in   the  fresh, 
moist   earth.     Keep   the  roots   from   contact   with   unfer- 
mented  manure. 

8.  In  handling  plants  at  any  time,  never  let  the  little 
rootlets  dry  and  shrivel.     Keep  them  from  sun,  frost,  and 
wind.     If  the  roots  of  plants  received  in  boxes  are  frozen, 


A  FEW  RULES  AND  MAXIMS.  335 

let  them  thaw  out  in  a  cellar  undisturbed.  If  roots  are  black, 
shrivelled,  or  musty  from  long  transportation,  wash  them  in 
clean  water,  and,  in  the  case  of  strawberries,  shorten  them 
one-third,  and  then  plant  at  once  in  moist  soil. 

9.  In  cultivating  strawberry  plants  recently  set,  stir  the 
surface  merely,  with  .a  rake,  not  over  half  an  inch  deep. 

10.  Never  disturb  roots  by  working  among  them  in  dry 
weather.     At  such  times,  stir  the  surface  only,  and  often. 

11.  If  you  water  at  all,  water  thoroughly,  and  keep  the 
soil  moist  till  rain  comes ;  otherwise  watering  is  an  injury. 

12.  The  easiest  and  cheapest  way  to  keep  a  garden  clean 
is  to  rake  the  ground  over  once  a  week  on  sunny  days. 
This  method  destroys  the  weeds  when  they  are  just  appear- 
ing, and  maintains  moisture. 

13.  Pick  fruit,  if  possible,  when  it  is  dry,  and  before  it  is 
over- ripe.    Do  not  leave  it  in  the  sun  or  wind,  but  take  it  at 
once  to  coolness  and  shade.     Pack  carefully  and  honestly. 
A  quart  of  small,  decayed,  green,  or  muddy  berries  scattered 
through  a  crate  of  fine  fruit  may  reduce  its  price  one  half. 

14.  Mulch  everything  you  can.     Save  all  the  leaves  and 
litter  that  can  be  gathered  on  the  place,  and  apply  it  around 
the  plants  only  when  the  ground  is  moist.     Dry  ground  cov- 
ered with  mulch  may  be  kept  dry  all  summer. 

15.  Practise  summer  pinching  and  pruning  only  when 
plants  are  in  their  spring  and  early  summer  growth,  and  not 
after  the  wood  begins  to  ripen.     If  delayed  till  then,  wait  till 
the  plant  is  dormant  in  the  fall. 

1 6.  Sandy  or  gravelly  land  can  usually  be  worked  imme- 
diately after  rain ;  but  if  heavy  land  is  plowed  or  cultivated 
when  wet,  or  so  dry  as  to  break  up  in  lumps,  it  is  injured. 

1 7.  Watch  all  crops  daily.     Plants  are  living  things,  and 
need  attention.     Diseases,  insects,  drought  or  wet,  may  de- 
stroy them  in  a  few  days,  or  even  hours,  if  left  uncared  for. 


336  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

1 8.  If  you  cultivate  strawberries  in  the  spring,  do  the 
work  very  early — as  soon  as  the  ground  is  dry  enough  to 
work.     After  the  fruit  buds  show  themselves,  stir  the  ground 
with  a  rake  or  hoe  only,  and  never  more  than  an  inch  deep. 
I  advocate  early  spring  cultivation,  and  then  the  immediate 
application  of  the  mulch. 

19.  Just  as  the  ground  begins  to  freeze,  in  the  fall  or 
early  winter,  cover  strawberry  plants  with  some  light  mate- 
rial that  will  prevent  alternate  freezing  and  thawing  during 
the  winter.     Never  use  heavy,  unfermented  manure  for  this 
purpose.     Leaves,  straw,  salt  hay,  light  stable  manure,  or 
any  old  litter  from  the  garden,  answers. 

20.  In  setting  raspberry  plants,  or  any  fruit,  never  set  in 
hard,  unprepared  soil.     Do  not  stick  them  in  little,  shallow 
holes,  nor  in  deep,  narrow  ones,  wherein  the  roots  are  all 
huddled  together;   make  the  holes  large  and  deep,  either 
with  the  plow  or  spade,  fill  the  bottom  partly  with  fine,  rich, 
moist,  surface  soil,  free  from  lumps  and  manure,  and  spread 
the  roots  out  on  this,  then  fill  in  with  very  fine  pulverized 
earth,  setting  the  plant,  in  light  land,  one  or  two  inches  deeper 
than  it  grew  naturally ;  and  in  heavy  land  at  the  same  depth. 
If  manure  is  used,  spread  it  on  the  surface,  around,  not  up 
against,  the  stem  of  the  plant. 

2 1 .  Both  for  the  sake  of  economy  and  thoroughness,  use 
the  plow  and  cultivator  rather  than  fork  and  hoe,  whenever  it 
is  possible.    Ground  can  be  laid  out  with  a  view  to  this  rule. 

22.  In  cultivating  crops  among  trees,  use  short  whiffle- 
trees,  with  the  traces  so  fastened  as  to  prevent  the  young 
trees  from  being  scratched  and  wounded. 

23.  Save,  with  scrupulous  economy,  all  wood-ashes,  soap- 
suds, and  all  articles  having  fertilizing  qualities.      A  com- 
post heap  is  like  a  sixpenny  savings  bank.      Small   and 
frequent  additions  soon  make  a  large  aggregate.     The  fruit 


A  FEW  RULES  AND  MAXIMS.  337 

grower  and  his  land  usually  grow  rich  together,  and  in  the 
same  proportion. 

24.  Once  more  I  repeat,  —  in  handling  and  setting  out 
plants,  never  let  the  roots  shrivel  and  dry  out.  After  plants 
and  cuttings  are  in  the  ground,  never  leave  them  just  long 
enough  to  dry  out  and  die.  Keep  them  moist,  —  not  wet 
and  sodden,  but  moist  all  the  time.  In  setting  out  plants, 
especially  strawberries,  spread  out  the  roots,  and  make  the 
ground  very  firm  about  them.  In  trenching  stock,  put  the 
roots  down  deeply,  and  cover  well  half-way  up  the  stems. 
The  gardener  who  fails  to  carry  out  the  principles  under 
this  number  has  not  learned  the  letter  A  of  his  business. 

Mr.  William  Parry  gives  the  following  rule  for  ascertaining 
the  number  of  plants  required  for  one  acre  of  land,  which 
contains  43,560  square  feet:  — 

"  Multiply  the  distance  in  feet  between  the  rows  by  the  dis- 
tance the  plants  are  set  apart  in  the  row,  and  their  product  will 
be  the  number  of  square  feet  for  each  plant  or  hill,  which,  di- 
vided into  the  number  of  feet  in  an  acre,  will  show  how  many 
plants  or  hills  the  acre  will  contain,  thus  :  — 

Blackberries  .     .     .  8  feet  by  3    =  24)43, S6°(    1,815  plants. 

Raspberries  ...  7        "      3    =  2i)43,5(5o(    2,074  plants. 

Strawberries  ...  5        "       i     =  s)43,56o(     8,712  plants. 

Strawberries  ...  3        "     16  in.  4)43,56o(  10,890  plants." 

The  same  rule  can  be  applied  to  all  other  plants  or  trees. 

I  would  suggest  that  fruit  growers  take  much  pains  to  se- 
cure trustworthy  pickers.  Careless,  slovenly  gathering  of  the 
fruit  may  rob  it  of  half  its  value.  It  often  is  necessary  for 
those  who  live  remote  from  villages  to  provide  quarters  for 
their  pickers.  Usually,  the  better  the  quarters,  the  better 
the  class  that  can  be  obtained  to  do  the  work. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

VARIETIES    OF    STRAWBERRIES. 

'l  AO  attempt  to  describe  all  the  strawberries  that  have 
been  named  would  be  a  task  almost  as  interminable 
as  useless.  This  whole  question  of  varieties  presents  a  dif- 
ferent phase  every  four  or  five  years.  Therefore  I  treat  the 
subject  in  my  final  chapter,  in  order  that  I  may  give  revi- 
sion as  often  as  there  shall  be  occasion  for  it,  without  dis- 
turbing the  body  of  the  book.  A  few  years  since,  certain 
varieties  were  making  almost  as  great  a  sensation  as  the 
Sharpless.  They  are  now  regarded  as  little  better  than 
weeds,  in  most  localities.  Thus  the  need  of  frequent  revi- 
sion is  clearly  indicated.  In  chapter  xiii.  I  have  spoken  of 
those  varieties  that  have  become  so  well  established  as  to  be 
regarded  as  standards,  or  which  are  so  promising  and  popu- 
lar as  to  deserve  especial  mention.  More  precise  and  tech- 
nical descriptions  will  now  be  given.  I  shall  not  copy  old 
catalogues,  or  name  those  kinds  that  have  passed  wholly  out 
of  cultivation.  Such  descriptions  would  have  no  practical 
value,  and  the  strawberry  antiquarian  can  find  them  in  the 
older  works  on  this  subject.  Neither  shall  I  name  many 
foreign  kinds,  as  the  majority  qf  them  have  little  value  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic.  Soil,  climate,  locality,  and  other  rea- 
sons, cause  such  great  differences  in  opinion  in  regard  to 
varieties  that  I  expect  exceptions  to  be  taken  to  every 
description.  Many  of  the  new  sorts  that  I  am  testing  have 
not,  as  yet,  proved  themselves  worthy  of  mention. 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  339 

Agriculturist.  --  Originated  with  the  late  Mr.  Seth  Boy- 
<Jen,  of  Newark,  N.  J.  Through  the  courtesy  of  an  old 
friend  of  Mr.  Boyden,  I  am  able  to  give  his  description  of 
his  own  berry,  copied  from  his  diary  by  a  member  of  his 
family :  — 

"  No.  10.  —  Name,  Agriculturist.  A  cross  between  No.  5 
and  Peabody's  Georgia  ;  a  hardy,  tall  grower,  with  much  foliage 
and  few  runners  ;  berries  very  large,  broad  shoulders,  slightly 
necked,  often  flat,  and  some  coxcombed  or  double,  high  crimson 
color  to  the  centre;  very  firm,  and  high-flavored.  A  staminate 
variety." 

(No.  5  is  the  Green  Prolific.)  The  Agriculturist  was 
once  very  popular,  and  is  still  raised  quite  largely  in  some 
localities,  but  is  fast  giving  way  to  new  varieties.  It  is  pecu- 
liarly adapted  to  light  soils,  but  on  my  place  has  scalded 
and  "dampened  off"  badly.  It  seemingly  has  had  its  day. 

Boyden 's  No.  30  (Seth  Boyden). —  I  again  let  Mr. 
Boyden  describe  his  own  seedling :  — 

"  Plant  above  medium  size ;  round  leaf,  deep  green ;  bears 
the  summer  heat  well ;  berries  necked,  rather  long,  large ;  abun- 
dance of  seed  ;  dark  red  ;  has  buds,  blossoms,  and  ripe  berries 
on  the  same  peduncle  ;  is  of  the  Agriculturist  family,  and  an 
eccentric  plant.  Perfect  flower." 

From  the  reference  above,  I  gather  that  No.  5,  or  Green 
Prolific  is  one  of  the  parents  of  this  famous  berry.  Mr. 
Boyden  speaks  of  some  of  his  other  seedlings  more  favor- 
ably than  of  this,  —  another  instance  of  the  truth  that  men 
do  not  always  form  the  most  correct  judgments  of  their 
own  children.  No.  30  will  perpetuate  Mr.  Boyden's  name 
through  many  coming  years,  and  all  who  have  eaten  this 
superb  berry  have  reason  to  bless  his  memory.  No.  5  and 
No.  10  are  rapidly  disappearing  from  our  gardens.  The 


34O  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Boyden  (as  it  should  be  named)  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
sweetest  berries  in  cultivation,  —  too  sweet  for  my  taste.  It 
responds  nobly  to  high  culture,  but  it  is  impatient  of  neglect 
and  light,  dry  soils.  It  is  one  of  the  best  market  berries, 
and  although  not  hard,  is  firm  and  dry,  and  thus  is  well 
adapted  for  shipping.  It  is  one  of  the  few  fancy  berries 
that  will  endure  long  transportation  by  rail.  As  I  have 
stated,  Mr.  Jerolemon  has  raised  327  bushels  of  this  variety 
on  an  acre,  and  received  for  the  same  $1,386.  Give  it 
moist  soil  and  cut  the  runners. 

Bidwell.  —  Foliage  light  green,  plant  very  vigorous ; 
truss  3  to  5  inches  high ;  berry  very  conical,  bright  scarlet, 
with  a  neck  highly  glazed,  glossy ;  flesh  firm,  pink ;  calyx 
close  ;  season  very  early. 

Not  yet  fully  tested,  but  giving  remarkable  promise.  It 
has  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  best  of  the  new  early  berries. 
Staminate. 

Beauty.  —  Plant  fairly  vigorous,  leaf  crinkled ;  truss  4  to 
6  inches  high ;  berry  obtusely  conical ;  long,  glazed  neck ; 
crimson,  3  to  6  inches  in  circumference ;  flesh  light  pink ; 
flavor  excellent ;  calyx  spreading ;  season  early,  —  a  very  fine 
and  beautiful  variety  for  the  amateur  and  fancy  market.  It 
requires  petting,  and  repays  it.  It  makes  very  few  runners. 
It  originated  with  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  of  Irvington,  N.  J. 
Staminate. 

Black  Defiance.  —  Plant  vigorous,  if  the  soil  suits  it ; 
foliage  dark  green,  low,  bushy ;  downy  leaf-stalk ;  truss  low ; 
2j£  to  4  inches ;  berry  very  dark  crimson  ;  very  obtuse  coni- 
cal, often  round  and  irregular;  early;  flesh  dark  crimson, 
flavor  sprightly,  high,  and  rich;  moderately  productive; 
calyx  spreading ;  inclined  to  stool ;  its  runners  bear  fruit  in 
September.  It  is  one  of  the  best  varieties  originated  by 
Mr.  Durand,  who  has  given  me  the  following  history.  "  it 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  341 

is  a  seedling  of  Boyden's  Green  Prolific,  impregnated  by  the 
Triomphe  de  Gand.  The  seed  was  planted  in  1860.  The 
berry  was  exceedingly  tart  when  first  red,  and  was  on  that 
account  pronounced  worthless  by  competent .  judges  (so 
considered).  Having  but  limited  experience  at  the  time,  I 
threw  it  aside,  but  afterward  retained  five  plants  to  finish  a 
row  of  trial  seedlings.  Eventually  it  was  shown  at  the 
exhibition  of  the  N.  J.  Agricultural  Society,  and  was  awarded 
the  first  prize  as  the  best  new  seedling,  by  such  competent 
judges,  as  A.  S.  Fuller,  Dr.  Thurber,  and  Chas.  Downing." 
From  that  day  to  this  all  lovers  of  good  fruit  have  indorsed 
their  opinion.  It  is  firm,  and  can  be  shipped  long  distances. 
Staminate. 

Black  Giant.  —  Said  to  be  a  decided  improvement  on 
the  above,  and  to  have  the  same  general  characteristics; 
but  not  yet  tested  by  general  cultivation. 

Black  Prince.  —  An  old  and  once   popular   English  va  ^ 
riety,  one  of  Keen's  seedlings,  now  rarely  grown  in  this . 
country. 

Brilliant.  —  Originated  with  W.  B.  Storer,  of  Akron, 
Ohio,  who  describes  it  as  "a  large  conical  berry ;  color  a 
dark,  glossy  red,  and  deep  red  all  through ;  flavor  rich. 
Plant  very  hardy  and  prolific." 

British  Queen.  —  One  of  Hyatt's  seedlings,  of  which  Mr. 
J.  M.  Merrick  writes  :  "  It  is  perhaps  the  most  famous  berry 
ever  raised  in  England,  where  it  is  a  favorite  for  market" 
Unfortunately,  it  does  not  come  to  full  perfection  here,  and 
is  not  only  tender  but  very  capricious  in  choice  of  soils.  It 
is  the  parent  of  many  excellent  kinds.  The  fruit  is  of  the 
largest  size  and  highest  flavor.  Staminate. 

Brooklyn  Scarlet.  —  One  of  the  best-flavored  berries,  but 
too  soft,  except  for  home  use.  Originated  with  Mr.  A.  S. 
Fuller.  Staminate. 

O— ROE— XVII 


342  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

Boston  Pine.  —  Once  a  favorite  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston, 
and  largely  used  to  fertilize  Hovey's  Seedling.  But  few  are 
raised  now,  to  my  knowledge.  Fruit  quite  large ;  slightly 
conical ;  deep,  glossy  crimson ;  rather  firm ;  juicy,  and  of 
good  flavor.  The  plant  requires  hill  culture  in  rich  soil. 
Staminate. 

Burr's  New  Pine.  —  A  medium-sized,  roundish  berry ; 
scarlet  in  the  sun ;  pale  in  the  shade  ;  juicy,  sweet,  aromatic, 
early,  very  soft.  Pistillate. 

Belle.  —  One  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Moore's  seedlings.  New. 
I  give  an  extract  from  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural 
Society's  report :  "  The  Belle,  we  think,  is  the  largest  straw- 
berry ever  exhibited  on  our  tables."  As  yet,  not  generally 
tested. 

Captain  Jack.  —  Plant  moderately  vigorous ;  leaf-stalk 
smooth,  wiry ;  very  dark  green  foliage,  which  in  many 
regions  is  inclined  to  burn ;  truss  5  to  7  inches ;  recum- 
bent ;  very  much  branched,  with  from  12  to  1 8  berries ; 
berry  light  scarlet,  round,  fair  size  and  uniform ;  flesh  pink, 
moderately  firm  ;  flavor  poor ;  calyx  close  ;  season  late ; 
very  productive ;  flowers  grow  above  the  leaves ;  the  fruit 
endures  transportation  remarkably  well ;  staminate.  Origi- 
nated with  Mr.  S.  Miller,  of  Blufton,  Mo.,  and  is  a  seedling 
of  the  Wilson. 

Charles  Downing.  —  Plant  very  vigorous ;  foliage  light 
green ;  tall  and  slender ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  6  to  7 
inches,  slender,  drooping ;  8  to  10  berries,  which  are  scar- 
let, with  a  pale  cheek,  —  crimson  when  fully  ripe ;  berry 
round  to  obtuse  conical ;  regular,  the  first  slightly  ridged ; 
somewhat  soft ;  flesh  juicy,  light  pink ;  flavor  very  fine ; 
size  3  to  5  inches  in  circumference ;  calyx  spreading  and 
recurved ;  season  medium  ;  very  productive. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  family  varieties,  and  is  planted 


VARIETIES  OF  STRA  WBERRIES.  343 

every  year  more  largely  for  market.  With  care,  it  endures 
transportation  very  well,  and  those  who  once  taste  it  ask 
for  it  again.  There  are  few,  if  any  other,  varieties  that  do 
so  well  throughout  the  country  at  large.  Originated  with 
Mr.  J.  S.  Downer,  Fairview,  Ky.  Staminate. 

Champion.  —  Plant  vigorous ;  foliage  dark  green ;  leaf- 
stalk downy ;  truss  5  to  6  inches,  branched ;  berry  dark 
crimson,  round ;  flesh  rather  soft,  crimson ;  flavor  very  good 
when  fully  ripe,  but  poor  when  it  first  turns  red ;  size  2^  to 
5  inches ;  calyx  recurved  ;  season  medium  to  late  ;  exceed- 
ingly productive.  One  of  the  best  and  most  profitable  for 
near  market.  Originated  with  Dr.  J.  C.  Neff,  Carlisle,  Pa. 
Pistillate. 

Caroline.  —  Plant  a  moderate  grower ;  foliage  light  green  j 
leaf-stalk  somewhat  downy ;  truss  4  to  5  inches ;  berry  bright 
scarlet,  with  a  varnished  appearance  ;  bulky,  conical ;  flesh 
scarlet ;  flavor  good  ;  size  3  to  4  inches ;  calyx  spreading ; 
season  medium.  Originated  with  J.  B.  Moore,  Concord, 
Mass.  Staminate. 

Crescent  Seedling.  —  Plant  vigorous,  tall,  with  dark  green 
and  very  slender  foliage ;  leaf-stalk  rather  smooth ;  truss  6 
to  8  inches,  well  branched ;  bearing  12  to  1 8  berries ;  bright 
scarlet  berry,  round  to  conical,  with  a  peculiar  depression 
near  the  apex ;  large  ones  somewhat  irregular ;  size  2  to  4 
inches ;  flesh  scarlet ;  flavor  not  good,  unless  grown  on  light 
land  and  the  berry  ripens  in  the  sun  ;  calyx  recurved.  Soft 
for  long  carriage ;  but  its  bright  color  and  fair  size,  under 
good  culture,  cause  it  to  sell  readily  in  near  markets.  I 
think  the  public  will  demand  better  flavored  berries.  It 
certainly  should.  There  are  few  weeds  that  can  compete 
with  the  Crescent  in  vigorous  growth.  It  does  well  in  the 
hot  climate  of  the  South.  Indeed,  there  are  few  soils  so 
poor  and  dry  that  it  cannot  thrive  upon  them  ;  and,  at  the 


344  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

same  time,  under  high  culture,  with  runners  cut,  it  improves 
wonderfully.  It  has  yielded  at  the  rate  of  15,000  quarts  to 
the  acre.  Originated  with  Mr.  William  Parmelee,  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  in  1870.  Pistillate,  or  nearly  so. 

Centennial  Favorite.  —  Plant  vigorous,  tall,  with  light 
green  foliage ;  truss  3  to  7  inches,  much  branched ;  berry 
dark  scarlet,  round  to  flat,  inclined  to  have  a  neck ;  2  to  4 
inches ;  smooth  and  glossy  in  appearance,  uniform  in  size ; 
flesh  dark  scarlet ;  flavor  fine ;  calyx  spreading ;  season 
medium  to  late ;  moderately  productive.  Originated  with 
Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  Irvington,  N.  J.  Pistillate. 

Cinderella.  —  Plant  very  vigorous,  with  light  green  foliage  ; 
leaf-stalks  soft,  downy ;  truss  4  to  6  inches ;  berry  conical, 
sometimes  necked,  bright  scarlet,  glossy;  flesh  moderately 
firm,  light  pink ;  flavor  fair,  but  not  high ;  size  3  to  5 
inches ;  season  early  to  medium ;  calyx  spreading. 

The  young  plants  are  not  very  productive,  but  I  think 
they  would  improve  greatly  in  this  respect  if  the  runners 
were  cut,  and  that  they  would  bear  better  the  second  year. 
The  berry  is  almost  as  beautiful  and  attractive  as  the  Ju- 
cunda,  which  it  resembles  somewhat ;  and  it  can  be  grown 
on  light  soils,  where  the  Jucunda  cannot  thrive.  Originated1 
with  Mr.  Oscar  Felton,  of  N.  J.,  1873.  Staminate. 

Continental.  —  Plant  vigorous ;  leaf-stalk  smooth ;  truss 
5  to  7  inches, well  branched,  bearing  12  to  18  berries;  berry 
dark  crimson,  obtusely  conical;  flesh  firm,  scarlet;  flavor 
good ;  calyx  recurving ;  season  late  ;  moderately  produc- 
tive, and,  under  hill  culture,  very  prolific.  Originated  with 
Mr.  Oscar  Felton.  Staminate. 

When  visiting  Mr.  Felton,  I  saw  several  ether  seedlings 
of  great  promise,  which  I  hope  he  will  send  out  at  an  early 
date. 

Colonel  Cheney,  —  Plant  low,  spreading,  vigorous,  with 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  345 

light  green  foliage ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  trass  3  to  5  inches, 
low,  branching ;  berry  light  scarlet,  long,  conical,  necked ; 
large  ones  very  irregular;  flesh  pink,  watery,  soft;  the 
core  tends  to  pull  out  with  the  hull ;  flavor  poor ;  calyx 
spreading;  season  medium  to  late;  very  productive,  and 
Mr.  A.  M.  Purdy,  editor  "  Small  Fruit  Recorder,"  writes  to 
me  that  for  near  markets  it  is  still  grown  with  great  profit  in 
western  New  York.  Pistillate. 

Crimson  Cone.  —  (Scotch  Runner  or  Pine-apple) .  About 
fourteen  years  ago,  according  to  Mr.  Fuller,  there  were  more 
acres  of  this  old-fashioned  variety  cultivated  for  the  New 
York  market  than  of  all  other  kinds  together.  They  were 
also  called  "  Hackensacks,"  and  were  brought  in  the  small, 
handled  baskets  already  described,  and  were  hulled  as  they 
were  picked,  —  their  long  neck  making  this  an  easy  task. 
They  are  small,  regular,  conical,  firm,  with  a  rich,  sprightly, 
acid  flavor.  It  is  not  a  pistillate,  as  many  claim,  Mr.  Fuller 
asserts,  but  a  spurious  variety,  largely  mixed  with  it,  is  a 
pistillate.  It  is  one  of  the  historical  strawberries,  but  it  has 
had  its  day.  In  size  and  flavor  it  is  a  near  approach  to  the 
wild  berry. 

Cumberland  Triumph.  —  Plant  vigorous,  with  dark  green 
foliage ;  leaf-stalk  smooth ;  truss  6  to  7  inches ;  well 
branched ;  berry  round  and  very  uniform  in  shape,  pale 
scarlet ;  flesh  light  pink,  soft ;  very  large ;  size  3  to  6 
inches ;  calyx  close ;  season  early  to  medium. 

One  of  the  best  for  family  use.  Under  high  culture,  it 
is  superb.  Originated  with  Mr.  Amos  Miller,  of  Carlisle, 
Pa.  Staminate. 

Damask  Beauty.  —  Foliage  very  dark  green ;  leaf-stalk 
downy ;  truss  low,  zyz  to  4  inches ;  berry  very  light  scarlet ; 
obtusely  conical ;  size  2  to  4  inches  ;  flesh  soft,  juicy,  pink ; 
flavor  fine ;  calyx  close ;  season  early. 


346  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

A  very  distinct  variety,  and  interesting  to  an  amateur, 
but  of  no  great  value.  Staminate. 

Duchessc.  —  Plant  vigorous,  tall ;  leaves  dark  green ;  leaf- 
stalk and  midrib  very  downy ;  truss  7  inches  ;  recumbent, 
well  branched,  6  to  8  berries  that  hold  out  well  in  size ; 
berry  round,  bulky,  very  uniform,  moderately  firm ;  bright 
scarlet ;  flesh  pink,  juicy ;  flavor  fine  ;  size  3  to  4  inches  ; 
season  very  early,  but  continuing  quite  long.  Inclined  to 
stool,  or  make  large  plants  from  a  single  root ;  enormously 
productive ;  from  50  to  200  berries  to  a  plant,  in  hill  cul- 
ture. I  regard  it  as  the  best  early  standard  berry,  and  have 
always  found  it  one  of  the  most  profitable  for  market. 
Originated  with  Mr.  D.  H.  Barnes,  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
Staminate. 

Duncan.  —  Plant  vigorous ;  foliage  light  green ;  leaf-stalk 
downy ;  truss  5  to  7  inches ;  berry  scarlet,  round  to  oval, 
often  decidedly  conical ;  large  ones  irregular,  and  cox- 
combed  ;  flesh  pink,  not  very  firm ;  flavor  very  good ; 
calyx  close  to  spreading;  a  productive,  fine  variety, 
that,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  has  not  been  appreciated. 
Originated  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Lucas,  of  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Staminate. 

Doctor  Nicaise.  —  A  French  variety ;  enormously  large ; 
soft ;  not  productive ;  and  on  my  grounds  wretched  in 
flavor. 

Downer's  Prolific.  —  A  light  scarlet  berry ;  medium  to 
large ;  oval,  roundish,  soft ;  acid,  but  of  good  flavor,  and 
perfumed  like  the  wild  berry.  Plant  very  vigorous  and 
capable  of  enduring  much  neglect ;  profitable  for  home  use 
and  near  market.  Originated  with  Mr.  J.  S.  Downer,  of 
Kentucky.  Staminate. 

Dr.  Warder.  —  Plant  tall,  moderately  vigorous  ;  foliage 
light  green  ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  7  to  9  inches,  branched, 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  347 

full  of  different-sized  berries ;  berry  long,  conical,  well 
shouldered,  crimson,  firm ;  flesh  pink ;  flavor  good  ;  size  4 
to  6  inches ;  calyx  close ;  season  very  late ;  burns  badly, 
needs  to  be  in  shade.  Staminate.  A  superb  variety  if  it 
did  not  lose  its  foliage. 

Early  Hudson.  —  Plant  very  vigorous,  with  light  green 
foliage ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  4  to  5  inches,  strong,  well 
branched  ;  berry  crimson,  flattish-round  ;  when  large,  some- 
what irregular ;  flesh  crimson,  juicy,  soft ;  size  3  to  5  inches  ; 
season  very  early;  very  productive.  One  of  the  best  for 
family  use,  and  very  productive  and  fine,  with  runners  cut. 
Pistillate. 

Eliza.  —  Plant  moderately  vigorous ;  dark  green  ;  leaf- 
stalk downy ;  truss  3  to  5  inches,  stout,  branched ;  berry 
light  scarlet,  round  to  conical,  necked,  large  ones  irregular 
and  coxcombed  ;  flesh  firm,  white  ;  flavor  excellent ;  calyx 
close ;  season  late ;  moderately  productive.  One  of  the 
best  foreign  varieties.  Staminate. 

Early  Adela.  —  Not  worth  growing  on  my  grounds. 

French's  Seedling.  —  Plant  vigorous,  with  light  green  foli- 
age ;  leaf- stalk  downy ;  truss  5  to  7  inches ;  berry  round, 
scarlet ;  size  medium  ;  seeds  deep-pitted  ;  flesh  pink,  soft ; 
flavor  good ;  calyx  spreading ;  season  early ;  moderately 
productive.  Found  growing  wild  in  a  meadow,  near 
Morristown,  N.  J. 

Forest  Rose.  —  Plant  moderately  vigorous  ;  foliage  light 
green ;  truss  3  to  5  inches,  branching ;  berry  bright  scarlet, 
large,  and  the  first  somewhat  irregular,  4  to  6  inches ;  flesh 
light  pink ;  flavor  very  fine ;  calyx  spreading  and  recurving ; 
season  early. 

One  of  the  best  where  it  can  be  grown,  but  in  some  re- 
gions the  foliage  burns.  Discovered  growing  in  a  vineyard, 
by  Mr.  Fetters,  of  Lancaster,  Ohio.  Staminate. 


348  SUL'CESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Frontenac.  —  Foliage  light  green  ;  plant  moderately  vigor- 
ous ;  leaf-stalk  wiry ;  truss  5  inches,  6  to  8  berries ;  berry 
bright  scarlet,  roundish  and  slightly  irregular;  size  2  to  3 
inches ;  flesh  pink,  solid ;  season  late  ;  moderately  produc- 
tive ;  the  foliage  is  inclined  to  burn. 

Glendale.  —  This  variety  is  now  greatly  praised  as  a  mar- 
ket berry.  Dr.  Thurber  and  I  examined  it  together,  and 
agreed  that  its  flavor  was  only  second-rate  ;  but,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  the  public  does  not  discriminate  very  nicely 
on  this  point.  It  averages  large,  sometimes  exceeding  six 
inches  in  circumference.  It  is  long,  conical,  uniform  in 
shape,  necked.  The  first  berries  are  often  ridged  some- 
what, but  I  have  never  seen  it  flat  or  coxcombed.  It  has  a 
very  large  calyx,  is  light  scarlet  in  flesh  and  color,  very  firm, 
and  therefore  will  probably  keep  and  ship  well,  the  large 
calyx  aiding  in  this  respect  also.  The  plant  is  vigorous  and 
makes  a  long  runner  before  the  new  plant  forms.  Leaves 
large  and  dark  green ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  4  to  6  inches ; 
season  very  late.  Found,  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Storer,  growing 
wild  in  Glendale  Cemetery,  Akron,  O., in  1871.  Staminate. 
I  think  this  berry  has  a  future  as  a  market  variety. 

Green  Prolific.  —  One  of  the  late  Mr.  Seth  Boyden's 
noted  varieties,  and  a  parent  of  far  better  berries  than  itself. 
I  quote  again  from  Mr.  Boyden's  diary :  "  No.  5  ;  a  cross 
with  Hovey's  Seedling  and  Kitley's  Goliath ;  a  large  plant, 
and  seldom  injured  by  summer  heat ;  very  luxuriant  grower 
and  bearer ;  berries  above  medium  size  and  of  good  quality. 
A  pistillate." 

This  berry  was  once  very  popular,  but  has  been  super- 
seded. The  fruit  is  very  soft,  and  second-rate  in  flavor. 
The  plant  is  so  vigorous  and  hardy  that,  in  combination 
with  a  fine  staminate,  it  might  be  the  parent  of  superior 
new  varieties. 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  349 

General  Sherman.  —  New.  Described  as  "  large,  coni- 
cal, regular,  brilliant  scarlet ;  quality  good ;  productive ; 
early." 

Great  American.  —  Plant  but  moderately  vigorous  ;  foli- 
age dark  green  ;  leaf-stalks  downy ;  truss  4  to  7  inches ;  berry 
dark  crimson,  round  to  conical ;  under  poor  culture,  2  to  3 
inches  in  size,  but  sometimes  very  large,  i  o  to  1 2  inches ; 
flesh  pink ;  flavor  only  fair ;  season  late  ;  unproductive,  un- 
less just  suited  in  soil  and .  treatment.  In  most  localities, 
the  foliage  burns  or  scalds  in  the  sun,  and  also  seems  just 
adapted  to  the  taste  of  the  flea-beetle  and  other  insects. 
Originated  with  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  and  under  his  exceed- 
ingly high  culture  and  skilful  management  it  yielded  immense 
crops  of  enormous  berries  that  sold  as  high  as  a  dollar  per 
quart ;  but  throughout  the  country  at  large,  with  a  few  ex- 
ceptions, it  seems  to  have  been  a  melancholy  failure.  From 
this  variety  was  produced  a  berry  measuring  over  fourteen 
inches  in  circumference  —  probably  the  largest  strawberry 
ever  grown.  Staminate. 

Golden  Defiance.  —  Plant  tall,  very  vigorous,  somewhat 
slender,  light  green ;  leaf-stalk  moderately  downy ;  truss  5 
to  7  inches,  12  to  20  berries,  well  clustered,  —  all  the  ber- 
ries developing  to  a  good  size ;  berry  dark  scarlet,  obtusely 
conical,  smooth,  sometimes  necked,  very  uniform,  3  to  5 
inches ;  flesh  scarlet,  quite  firm,  juicy ;  flavor  very  fine ; 
calyx  spreading  and  recurving;  season  late. 

For  three  successive  years  this  has  been  the  best  late 
berry  on  my  place,  and  one  of  the  most  beautiful.  Unless 
it  changes  its  character,  it  will  win  its  way  to  the  front  rank 
in  popularity.  If  its  runners  are  cut,  it  is  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive of  fruit  that  is  as  fine- flavored  as  showy.  Pistillate. 
Originated  with  Mr.  Amos  Miller,  of  Pennsylvania. 

Glossy  Cone.  —  One  of  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand's  seedlings. 


350  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

A  pretty  berry,  with  a  varnished  appearance,  but  neither 
productive  nor  vigorous  on  my  grounds,  thus  far.  New. 

Helen.  —  New.  Plant  tall,  vigorous,  with  dark  green  foli- 
age, very  downy ;  truss  5  to  7  inches,  branched ;  berry 
light  scarlet,  flat,  conical ;  flesh  white,  firm ;  flavor  fine  ; 
calyx  close ;  season  late.  I  fear  the  foliage  is  inclined  to 
burn  badly.  Staminate. 

Hervey  Davis.  —  New.  Plant  tafl,  rather  vigorous,  with 
light  green  foliage  ;  leaf-stalk  smooth,  except  when  young ; 
truss  5  to  6  inches ;  berry  bright  scarlet,  shouldered,  obtusely 
conical,  glossy ;  flesh  very  light  pink,  firm ;  flavor  good ; 
calyx  close ;  season  medium ;  productive.  It  has  seemed 
to  me  the  most  promising  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Moore's  seedlings. 
The  berry  resembles  the  Jucunda  somewhat.  Staminate. 

Hovey's  Seedling.  —  One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  histor- 
ical berries,  and  still  raised  quite  largely  around  Boston. 
It  was  originated  by  Mr.  C.  M.  Hovey,  and  was  first  fruited 
in  1835.  Its  introduction  made  a  great  sensation  in  the 
fruit  world,  and  the  fact  of  its  being  a  pistillate  gave  rise  to 
no  end  of  discussion.  Many  who  first  bought  it  set  it  out  by 
itself,  and  of  -course  it  bore  no  fruit ;  therefore  they  con- 
demned it.  When  its  need  of  fertilization  was  understood, 
many  used  wild  plants  from  the  woods  for  this  purpose, 
and  then  found  it  to  be  the  largest  and  most  productive 
strawberry  in  cultivation  at  that  period.  Such  large  crops 
were  often  raised  that  the  theory  was  advanced  by  many 
that  pistillates  as  a  class  would  be  more  productive  than 
staminates,  and  horticulturists  became  as  controversal  as  the 
most  zealous  of  theologians.  The  berry  and  the  vexed  ques- 
tions that  it  raised  have  both  ceased  to  occupy  general  at- 
tention, but  many  of  the  new  varieties  heralded  to-day  are 
not  equal  to  this  old-fashioned  sort.  Mr.  Downing  thus  de- 
scribes it ;  "  The  vines  are  vigorous  and  hardy,  producing 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  351 

moderately  large  crops,  and  the  fruit  is  always  of  the  largest 
size  and  finely  flavored ;  the  leaves  are  large,  rather  light 
green,  and  the  fruit-stalks  long  and  erect ;  fruit  roundish-oval 
and  slightly  conical,  deep,  shining  scarlet,  seeds  slightly  im- 
bedded ;  flesh  firm ;  season  about  medium."  , 
Huddleston's  Favorite.  —  New.  Thus  described  by  E. 
Y.  Teas,  of  Dunreith,  Ind. :  "  A  vigorous  grower,  with  large, 
glossy  foliage,  that  stands  the  sun  well ;  berries  of  the  larg- 
est size,  round,  with  small  calyx,  of  a  bright,  glossy,  crimson 
color,  ripening  evenly,  firm,  with  a  rich,  spicy  flavor ;  late ; 
very  beautiful  in  appearance." 

Jucunda.  —  A  slow  rather  than  feeble  grower,  on  heavy 
soils ;  light  green  foliage ;  leaf-stalk  smooth ;  truss  5  to  7 
inches ;  berry  high-shouldered,  conical,  of  a  bright,  glossy 
crimson,  very  showy ;  flesh  scarlet,  firm ;  flavor  fair  and 
good  when  fully  ripe ;  calyx  close ;  season  late. 

I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Hexamer  for  the  following  history: 
"  The  late  Rev.  Mr.  J.  Knox,  of  Pittsburgh,  told  me  that  in 
a  bed  of  what  he  received  as  Bonte  de  St.  Julien,  he  found 
a  number  of  plants  that  seemed  to  him  a  new  variety. 
Supposing  them  to  be  a  new  and  very  desirable  seedling,  he 
separated  them  from  the  others  and  propagated  them  under 
the  name  of '  700.'  Before  he  offered  them  for  sale  he  dis- 
covered that  they  were  identical  with  the  Jucunda,  and 
when  they  were  brought  out,  in  1865,  it  was  under  the  true 
name,  Jucunda  (Knox's  700)."  One  authority  states  that 
it  originated  in  England,  with  a  Mr.  Salter;  another  says 
that  it  was  imported  from  Belgium.  This  is  of  little  conse- 
quence compared  with  the  fact  that  it  is  the  finest  foreign 
berry  we  .have,  on  heavy  soils.  I  do  not  recommend  it  for 
light  land,  unless  the  runners  are  cut  and  high  culture  is 
given.  Mr.  M,  Crawford,  of  Cuyahoga  Falls,  Ohio,  makes 
the  interesting  statement  that  Mr.  Knox  "sold  over  two 


352  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

hundred  bushels  of  this  variety  in  one  day,  at  £16  per 
bushel."  It  has  always  been  one  of  the  most  profitable  on 
my  heavy  land.  The  young  plants  are  small  and  feeble. 
Staminate. 

Kentucky  Seedling.  —  Plant  tall,  vigorous,  but  slender  and 
apt  to  fall  ;  light  green  foliage ;  truss  8  to  i  o  inches,  with  8 
to  10  berries;  berry  scarlet,  conical,  high-shouldered,  some- 
what flattened  at  the  tip,  regular  in  shape  and  uniform  in  size, 
a  little  rough,  knobby,  with  seeds  set  in  deep  pits ;  flesh  but 
moderately  firm,  and  very  white  ;  flavor  of  the  best ;  calyx 
spreading  and  recurving ;  season  late  and  long-continued ; 
very  productive, — one  of  the  very  best ;  size  3  to  4^  inches. 
It  succeeds  well  on  light  soils  and  under  the  Southern  sun, 
and  improves  wonderfully  under  hill  culture.  Staminate. 
Originated  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Downer,  of  Kentucky. 

Lady  of  the  Lake.  —  Plant  tall,  vigorous,  dark  green 
foliage ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  7  to  8  inches ;  berry  crim- 
son, conical  necked ;  flesh  pink,  firm ;  flavor  good,  but 
rather  dry;  size  moderate;  calyx  spreading;  season  me- 
dium ;  productive.  Staminate. 

It  has  been,  and  is  still,  a  favorite  with  the  market-men 
around  Boston.  Originated  by  a  Mr.  Scott,  in  Brighton, 
Mass. 

La  Constant.  —  One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  foreign 
berries;  flesh  rosy  white,  sweet,  juicy,  very  firm,  and  of 
exquisite  flavor.  The  plants  are  dwarf  and  compact,  and 
they  require  the  highest  culture.  Even  then  the  crop  is 
uncertain;  for  the  variety,  like  high-born  beauty,  is  very 
capricious ;  but  its  smiles,  in  the  way  of  fruit,  are  such  as  to 
delight  the  most  fastidious  of  amateurs.  Originated  by  De 
Jonghe.  Staminate.  It  is  one  of  the  favorite  varieties 
abroad  for  forcing. 

Lady's  Finger.  —  An  old   variety,  now  not   often   seen. 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  353 

Conical,  and  very  elongated,  and  of  a  brilliant,  dark  scarlet 
color.  It  was  once  popular,  but  has  been  superseded. 

Lenmg's  White  (White  Pine-apple) .  —  This  is  not  strictly 
a  white  berry,  for  it  has  a  delicate  flush  if  exposed  to  the 
sun.  The  flesh  is  pure  white,  juicy,  melting,  sweet  and 
delicious  in  flavor,  and  so  aromatic  that  one  berry  will  per- 
fume a  large  apartment.  The  plant  is  vigorous  and  hardy, 
but  a  shy  bearer.  Hill  culture  and  clipped  runners  are 
essential  to  fruit,  but,  for  a  connoisseur's  table,  a  quart  is 
worth  a  bushel  of  some  varieties.  It  is  the  best  white  va- 
riety, and  evidently  a  seedling  of  the  F.  Chilensis.  It 
originated  in  the  garden  of  Mr.  Lennig,  of  Germantown,  Pa. 
Staminate. 

Laurel  Leaf.  —  New.  Plant  moderately  vigorous ;  foli- 
age dark  green;  leaf-stalk  quite  smooth;  truss  3  to  5 
inches,  low,  stocky ;  berry  very  light  scarlet ;  round  to 
conical,  short  neck ;  flesh  soft,  light  pink ;  size  moderate ; 
flavor  good ;  calyx  close.  Originated  with  Mr.  A.  N.  Jones, 
Le  Roy,  N.  Y.  Staminate. 

Longworth's  Prolific.  —  An  old  variety,  that  is  passing 
out  of  cultivation ;  still  grown  quite  extensively  in  Cali- 
fornia. It  is  a  large,  roundish-oval  berry  of  good  flavor. 
The  plant  is  said  to  be  vigorous  and  productive.  Originated 
on  the  grounds  of  the  late  Mr.  N.  Longworth  of  Cincinnati. 

Longfellow.  —  New.  Described  as  very  large,  elongated, 
conical,  occasionally  irregular;  color  dark  red,  glossy  and 
beautiful ;  flesh  firm,  sweet,  and  rich ;  plant  vigorous  with 
dark  green,  healthy  foliage,  not  liable  to  burn  in  the  sun ; 
very  productive,  continuing  long  in  bearing,  and  of  large 
size  to  the  last.  Originated  with  Mr.  A.  D.  Webb,  Bowling 
Green,  Ky. 

Marvin.  —  This  new  berry  is  already  exciting  much  at- 
tention, and  I  am  glad  that  I  can  give  a  description  from 

23 


354  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

so  careful  and  eminent  a  horticulturist  as  Mr.  T.  T.  Lyon, 
President  Michigan  State  Pomological  Society :  "  From 
notes  taken  at  the  ripening  of  the  fruit :  '  Plant  vigorous, 
very  stocky,  of  rather  low  growth,  bearing  a  fine  crop  for 
young  plants ;  foliage  nearly  round,  thick  in  substance,  flat 
or  cupped ;  serratures  broad  and  shallow ;  fruit  large  to 
very  large,  longish  conical ;  large  specimens  often  cox- 
combed  ;  bright  crimson ;  began  to  color  June  1 6th,  and 
the  first  ripe  berries  were  gathered  on  the  20th ;  stems  of 
medium  height,  —  strong;  flesh  light  crimson;  whitish  at 
the  centre,  firm  and  juicy;  flavor  high,  rich,  fine,  with  a 
very  pleasant  aroma ;  seeds  prominent ;  greenish  brown. 
We  regard  this  as  a  highly  promising,  very  large,  late  variety, 
and  especially  so  for  market  purposes.  Staminate.'  " 

Originated  with  Mr.  Harry  Marvin,  Ovid,  Mich.,  and 
said  to  be  from  the  Wilson  and  Jucunda,  —  an  excellent 
parentage. 

Miner's  Great  Prolific,  —  Plant  vigorous ;  leaves  light 
green,  smooth ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  six  inches,  well 
branched,  slender,  drooping;  berry  deep  crimson,  round 
and  bulky,  regular  shouldered ;  tip  green  when  half-ripe  ; 
flesh  pink,  moderately  firm  ;  flavor  good ;  calyx  spreading ; 
size  four  to  five  inches ;  season  medium  to  late.  The  berry 
holds  out  well  in  size,  and  resembles  the  Charles  Downing 
somewhat,  bat  averages  larger.  It  has  seemed  to  me  as 
promising  a  new  variety  as  the  Sharpless.  I  believe  it  has 
a  long  future.  Originated  with  the  late  T.  B.  Miner  in 
1877.  Staminate. 

Monarch  of  the  West.  —  Plant  very  vigorous ;  leaves 
light,  when  young,  and  later  of  a  golden  green,  somewhat 
smooth ;  truss  six  inches ;  four  to  eight  berries ;  berry  often 
of  a  carpet-bag  shape,  square  shouldered,  and  sometimes 
coxcombed,  large,  magnificent;  pale  scarlet;  flesh  light 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  355 

pink,  tender;  flavor  very  fine;  calyx  spreading  and  re- 
curving; tip  of  berry  green  when  not  fully  ripe,  but  it 
colors  evenly  if  given  time.  When  flavor  is  the  gauge  of 
excellence  in  the  market,  this  famous  berry  will  be  in  the 
front  rank.  Its  color  and  softness  are  against  it,  but  its 
superb  size,  deliciousness  and  aroma  should  make  it  eagerly 
sought  after  by  all  who  want  a  genuine  strawberry.  In  the 
open  market,  it  already  often  brings  double  the  price  of 
Wilsons.  In  the  home  garden,  it  has  few  equals.  With 
some  exceptions,  it  does  well  from  Maine  to  California. 
The  narrow  row  culture  greatly  increases  its  size  and  pro- 
ductiveness. I  have  had  many  crates  picked  in  which 
there  were  few  berries  that  did  not  average  five  inches  in 
circumference.  Mr.  Jesse  Brady,  of  Piano,  Illinois,  gives  me 
the  following  history :  "  The  Monarch  was  raised  by  me  in 
1867,  from  one  of  a  number  of  seedlings,  grown  previously, 
and  crossed  with  Boyden's  Green  Prolific.  The  said  seed- 
ling was  never  introduced  to  the  public.  I  raised  four- 
teen, and  cultivated  three  of  them  several  years.  They 
were  produced  from  an  English  berry,  name  unknown 
to  me." 

Martha.  —  A  fine,  large  berry,  but,  as  I  have  seen  it,  the 
foliage  burns  so  badly  that  I  think  it  will  pass  out  of  culti- 
vation unless  it  improves  in  this  respect.  Staminate. 

Neunaris  Prolific  (Charleston  Berry).  —  Foliage  tall, 
slender,  dark  green ;  fruit-stalk  tall ;  berries  light  scarlet, 
inclined  to  have  a  neck  at  the  North,  not  so  much  so  at  the 
South.  First  berries  large,  obtusely  conical ;  the  latter  and 
smaller  berries  becoming  round ;  calyx  very  large  and  droop- 
ing over  the  berry ;  exceedingly  firm,  —  hard,  indeed,  — 
and  sour  when  first  red ;  but  growing  richer  and  better  in 
flavor  in  full  maturity;  usually  a  vigorous  grower.  It  was 
originated  by  a  Mr.  Neunan,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and 


356  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

scarcely  any  other  variety  is  grown  in  that  great  strawberry 
centre. 

Napoleon  HI,  —  A  very  large  foreign  berry,  often  flat- 
tened and  coxcombed.  I  found  that  its  foliage  burned  so 
badly  I  could  not  grow  it.  Mr.  P.  Barry  describes  the 
plant  as  "rarely  vigorous,  and  bearing  only  a  few  large, 
beautiful  berries." 

New  Jersey  Scarlet.  —  An  old-fashioned  market  berry 
that  succeeded  well  on  the  light  soils  of  New  Jersey.  Once 
popular,  but  not  much  grown  now,  I  think.  Mr.  Downing 
describes  it  as  medium  in  size,  conical,  with  a  neck ;  light, 
clear  scarlet ;  moderately  firm,  juicy,  sprightly.  Staminate. 

Nicanor.  —  A  seedling  of  the  Triomphe  de  Gand,  that 
originated  on  the  grounds  of  Messrs.  Ellwanger  &  Barry, 
and  is  described  by  Mr.  Barry  as  "  hardy,  vigorous,  pro- 
ductive, early,  and  continuing  in  bearing  a  long  time ;  fruit 
moderately  large ;  uniform,  roundish,  conical ;  bright  scar- 
let ;  flesh  reddish,  rather  firm,  juicy,  sweet ;  of  fine  flavor." 
I  found  that  it  required  heavy  soil,  high  culture,  with 
clipped  runners,  to  produce,  on  my  place,  fruit  large 
enough  to  be  of  value.  The  fruit  ripened  very  early  and 
was  of  excellent  flavor.  Staminate. 

New  Dominion.  —  Described  by  Mr.  Crawford,  as  "  very 
large,  roundish,  uniform  in  size  and  shape ;  bright  red ; 
glossy,  firm,  of  good  flavor,  and  productive ;  season  me- 
dium." I  have  seen  it  looking  poorly  on  light  soil.  Origi- 
nated with  Mr.  C.  N.  Biggar,  on  the  battle-field  of  Lundy's 
Lane. 

Oliver  Goldsmith.  —  New ;  a  very  vigorous  grower,  bear- 
ing a  long,  conical  berry  with  a  glazed  neck.  Untested, 
but  very  promising.  Staminate. 

President  Lincoln.  —  Plant  moderately  vigorous ;  foliage 
light  green;  truss  5  to  6  inches,  strong;  berry  crimson, 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  357 

conical ;  often  long  with  a  neck ;  the  first  large  berries  are 
coxcombed  and  very  irregular ;  flesh  firm,  scarlet ;  flavor  of 
the  very  best ;  size  3  to  6  inches ;  calyx  close  to  spreading. 
One  of  the  best  varieties  for  an  amateur.  Among  them 
often,  without  any  apparent  cause,  are  found  small  bushy 
plants  with  smaller  leaves,  and  berries  full  of  "  fingers  and 
toes."  These  should  be  pulled  out.  The  variety  evidently 
contains  much  foreign  blood,  but  is  one  of  the  best  of  the 
class.  The  berries  almost  rival  the  Sharpless  in  size,  and 
are  better  in  flavor,  but  the  plant  is  not  so  good  a  grower. 
Specimens  have  been  picked  measuring  over  eleven  inches 
in  circumference.  It  is  said  to  have  originated  with  a  Mr. 
Smith,  of  New  York  city,  in  1875.  Staminate. 

President  Wilder.  —  In  the  estimation  of  many  good 
judges,  this  is  the  most  beautiful  and  best-flavored  straw- 
berry in  existence,  —  an  opinion  in  which  I  coincide.  It 
has  always  done  well  with  me,  and  I  have  seen  it  thriving 
in  many  localities.  It  is  so  fine,  however,  that  it  deserves 
all  the  attention  that  it  requires.  It  is  a  hybrid  of  the  La 
Constant  and  Hovey's  seedling,  and  unites  the  good  quali- 
ties of  both,  having  much  the  appearance  of  the  beautiful 
foreign  berry,  and  the  hardy,  sun-resisting  foliage  of  Hovey's 
Seedling.  It  has  a  suggestion  of  the  musky,  Hautbois  flavor, 
when  fully  ripe,  and  is  of  a  bright  scarlet  color,  deepening  into 
crimson  in  maturity.  Flesh  quite  firm,  rosy  white,  juicy, 
very  rich  and  delicious.  The  berry  is  diamond-shaped, 
obtusely  conical,  very  regular  and  uniform;  seeds  yellow 
and  near  the  surface.  The  plant  is  low,  compact,  rather 
dwarf,  the  young  plants  quite  small,  but  the  foliage  endures 
the  sun  well,  even  in  the  far  South.  The  plants  are  more 
productive  the  second  year  of  bearing  than  in  the  first. 
Young  plants  often  do  not  form  fruit  buds.  Mr.  Merrick 
states  that  it  "originated  with  President  Wilder,  in  1861, 


SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

and  was  selected  as  the  best  result  obtained  from  many 
thousand  seedlings  in  thirty  years  of  continual  experiment- 
ing." Staminate. 

Pioneer.  —  Plant  vigorous  ;  foliage  light  green,  tall ;  leaf- 
stalk downy ;  truss  5  to  7  inches ;  berry  scarlet,  necked, 
dry,  sweet,  perfumed ;  flesh  pink,  only  moderately  firm ; 
flavor  of  the  best ;  calyx  close  to  spreading ;  season  early. 
This  seems  to  me  the  best  of  all  Mr.  Durand's  new  varieties 
that  I  have  seen,  and  it  is  very  good  indeed.  The  foliage 
dies  down  during  the  winter,  but  the  root  sends  up  a  new, 
strong  growth,  which,  I  fear,  will  burn  in  the  South  and  on 
light  soils.  Staminate. 

Prouty's  Seedling.  —  Plant  not  very  vigorous  ;  leaf-stalk 
very  smooth ;  truss  3  to  5  inches ;  berry  bright  scarlet, 
glossy,  very  long  conical ;  flesh  pink,  firm ;  flavor  fair ; 
calyx  close.  Very  productive,  but  the  plant  does  not  seem 
vigorous  enough  to  mature  the  enormous  quantity  of  fruit 
that  forms.  With  high  culture  on  heavy  soil,  I  think  it 
might  be  made  very  profitable.  Staminate. 

Panic.  —  Mr.  W.  H.  Coleman,  of  Geneva,  writes  me  that 
this  variety  promises  remarkably  well  in  his  region,  but  on 
my  ground  it  burns  so  badly  as  to  be  valueless.  It  is  a 
long,  conical  berry,  very  firm  and  of  good  flavor.  Staminate. 

Red  Jacket.  —  Early,  high-flavored,  with  a  rich  subacid, 
suggesting  the  wild  berry  in  taste  and  aroma ;  of  good  size, 
round,  dark  crimson.  Plant  vigorous ;  a  promising  new 
variety.  Staminate. 

Russell's  Advance.  —  A  fine-flavored,  early  variety,  but  the 
plant  proves  not  sufficiently  vigorous  and  productive  to 
compete  with  other  early  berries  already  descnbed.  Stam- 
inate. 

RusselFs  Prolific.  —  A  fine,  large  berry,  deservedly  popular 
a  few  years  since.  It  has  yielded  splendid  fruit  on  my 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  359 

grounds,  but  it  seems  to  have  proved  so  uncertain  over  the 
country  at  large  as  to  have  passed  out  of  general  favor.  It 
is  rather  soft  for  market  and  not  high-flavored  enough  for 
-i  first-class  berry.  Pistillate. 

Romeyrfs  Seedling.  —  I  cannot  distinguish  it  from  the 
Triomphe  de  Gand.  Staminate. 

Sharpness.  —  A  very  strong,  upright  grower,  with  large, 
crinkled  foliage ;  truss  5  to  8  inches,  strong  branched ;  6 
to  10  large  berries  often  on  each;  berry  carpet-bag  in 
shape,  and  often  very  irregular  and  flattened,  but  growing 
more  uniform  as  they  diminish  in  size  ;  light  red  and  glossy, 
5  to  7  inches ;  flesh  firm,  light  pink ;  flavor  fine,  sweet, 
perfumed ;  calyx  recurving ;  season  medium.  One  of  the 
very  best  if  it  proves  sufficiently  productive  over  the  country 
at  large. 

Mr.  J.  K.  Sharpless  kindly  writes  me  :  "  I  have  been 
much  interested  in  growing  strawberries  for  the  last  fifteen 
years,  and  after  being  disappointed  in  many  of  the  new  and 
highly  praised  varieties,  the  idea  occurred  to  me  that  a 
seedling  originating  in  our  own  soil  and  climate  might  prove 
more  hardy  and  long-lived.  Having  saved  a  fine  berry 
of  each  of  the  following  varieties,  —  the  Wilson,  Colonel 
Cheney,  Jucunda,  and  Charles  Downing,  —  I  planted  their 
seeds  in  a  box  in  March,  1872.  The  box  was  kept  in  the 
house  (probably  by  a  warm  south  window),  and  in  May  I 
set  from  this  box  about  100  plants  in  the  garden,  giving 
partial  shade  and  frequently  watering.  By  fall,  nearly  all 
were  fine  plants.  I  then  took  them  up  and  set  them  out 
in  a  row  one  foot  apart,  protecting  them  slightly  during  the 
winter,  and  the  next  season  nearly  all  bore  some  fruit,  the 
Sharpless  four  or  five  fine  berries.  It  was  the  most  inter- 
esting employment  of  my  life  to  grow  and  watch  those 
seedlings.  Some  of  the  others  bore  fine,  large  berries,  but 


360  SUCCESS  WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

I  eventually  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Sharpless  was 
the  only  one  worthy  of  cultivation."  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  the  Jucunda  and  Colonel  Cheney  formed  the 
combination  producing  this  berry.  It  is  now  in  enormous 
demand,  and  if  it  gives  satisfaction  throughout  the  country 
generally,  its  popularity  will  continue.  It  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  hill  culture,  and  the  plant  is  so  vigorous  that 
it  would  develop  into  quite  a  bush  on  rich,  moist  land,  with 
its  runners  clipped.  Staminate. 

Seneca  Chief,  —  Plant  vigorous  and  productive  ;  large, 
downy  leaf ;  truss  low ;  berry  bright  scarlet,  glossy,  occa- 
sionally a  little  wedge-shaped  ;  round  to  conical,  shouldered  ; 
flesh  firm,  pink ;  seeds  yellow  and  brown ;  flavor  fine,  rich 
subacid ;  season  medium ;  size  3  to  5  inches ;  calyx  close ; 
a  fine  berry,  originated  by  Messrs.  Hunt  &  Foote,  Waterloo, 
N.  Y.  Staminate. 

Seneca  Queen.  —  Plant  vigorous,  foliage  dark  green ; 
leaf-stalk  moderately  downy ;  truss  3  to  5  inches ;  berry 
dark  crimson,  round ;  flesh  red ;  flavor  fair ;  size  3  to  5 
inches ;  calyx  close  ;  season  medium  ;  productive  ;  a  prom- 
ising variety.  Staminate. 

Springdale.  —  Plant  low,  stocky;  leaf-stalk  downy;  leaf 
broad  and  smooth  ;  truss  3  to  4  inches  ;  berry  bright  scar- 
let, round,  broaden  than  long,  3^  to  5  inches;  flesh  light 
pink,  juicy,  rather  soft ;  flavor  very  good ;  calyx  close ; 
season  early  to  medium.  Originated  by  Amos  Miller,  of 
Pennsylvania.  Pistillate. 

Sucker  State.  —  Plant  seems  vigorous ;  foliage  dark  green ; 
leaf-stalk  downy  ;  berry  light  scarlet ;  flesh  pink,  juicy,  firm. 
A  new  and  promising  variety.  Staminate. 

Stirling.  —  Only  moderately  vigorous ;  foliage  low,  light 
green ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  3  to  5  inches,  well  branched  ; 
berry  crimson,  ovate,  very  uniform,  somewhat  necked ;  mod 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  361 

erate-sized,  2  to  3  inches ;  flesh  pink,  very  firm ;  flavor  of 
the  best;  calyx  close  to  spreading;  season  medium  to 
late.  The  foliage  burns  so  badly  in  most  localities  that 
this  variety  will  pass  out  of  cultivation.  Pistillate. 

Triomphe  de  Gand.  —  Plant  light  green ;  leaf-stalk  and 
blade  unusually  smooth ;  truss  4  to  5  inches ;  berry,  the 
average  ones,  round  to  conical,  large  ones  irregular  and 
coxcombed ;  light  scarlet,  glossy ;  flesh  pink,  juicy,  and 
solid  ;  flavor  of  the  best ;  calyx  close ;  size  3^  to  5  inches ; 
season  long;  rather  feeble  grower,  and  comes  slowly  to 
maturity.  Admirably  adapted  to  the  narrow  row  system, 
and  on  .heavy  soils  can  be  kept  in  bearing  five  or  six  years, 
if  the  runners  are  cut  regularly.  If  I  were  restricted  to  one 
strawberry  on  a  heavy,  loamy  soil,  the  Triomphe  would  be 
my  choice,  since,  on  moist  land  with  high  culture,  it  will 
continue  six  weeks  in  bearing,  giving  delicious  fruit.  When 
well  grown,  it  commands  the  highest  price  in  market.  It 
is  probably  the  best  foreign  variety  we  have,  and  is  pe- 
culiarly adapted  to  forcing.  It  is  said  to  be  a  Belgian 
variety.  Staminate.  The  old-fashioned  belief  that  straw- 
berries thrived  best  on  light  soils  caused  this  superb  berry 
to  be  discarded ;  but  it  was  introduced  again  by  Mr.  Knox, 
who  proved,  by  a  very  profitable  experience,  that  heavy 
land  is  the  best  for  many  of  our  finest  varieties. 

Triple  Crown.  —  Plant  tall,  slender ;  foliage  light  green ; 
leaf-stalk  wiry,  smooth ;  truss  5  to  6  inches ;  berry  dark 
crimson,  conical ;  when  large,  irregular,  with  a  glazed  neck ; 
flesh  crimson,  remarkably  firm ;  flavor  rich  and  fine ;  size 
3  to  4  inches ;  season  medium  ;  very  productive.  One  of 
the  best,  and  I  think  the  firmest  strawberry  in  existence. 
I  may  be  mistaken,  but  I  think  this  berry  will  become 
exceedingly  popular  when  it  becomes  better  known.  I  am 
testing  it  on  various  soils.  For  canning  and  shipping  qual- 


362  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

ities,  it  has  no  equal,  and  though  so  exceedingly  firm,  is 
still  rich  and  juicy  when  fully  ripe.  Originated  by  Mr.  Wm. 
Hunt,  of  Waterloo,  N.Y.  Starainate. 

Warren.  —  Described  as  very  large,  roundish,  conical; 
very  regular  in  shape  and  size ;  color  dark  red,  ripening 
evenly ;  flesh  firm  and  of  good  quality.  Plant  a  luxuriant 
grower  and  a  good  bearer.  New  and  untested.  Originated 
by  Mr.  A.  S.  Webb,  Bowling  Green,  Ky. 

Wilding.  —  Plant  tall,  vigorous  ;  foliage  dark  green ; 
leaf-stalk  downy;  truss  6  to  8  inches;  well  branched;  10 
to  1 2  berries ;  ripe  fruit  and  blossoms  on  the  same  stalk ; 
berry  crimson,  high-shouldered,  round  to  conical ;  size  3 
to  5  inches ;  flesh  moderately  firm,  pink ;  flavor  good. 
New  and  very  promising.  Originated  by  Mr.  A.  N.  Jones, 
Le  Roy,  N.  Y.  Staminate. 

Wielandy.  —  Plant  vigorous,  with  dark  green,  very  glossy 
foliage ;  leaf-stalk  downy ;  truss  low ;  berry  bright  scarlet, 
round  to  conical ;  flesh  pink,  soft ;  flavor  fine ;  size  2  to 
3  inches ;  season  medium.  New  and  untested,  but  of  good 
promise  for  the  home  garden.  Staminate. 

Windsor  Chief.  —  Said  to  have  been  originated  by  Mr. 
C.  A.  Gardner,  of  Eaton  Co.,  Michigan,  and  to  be  a  cross 
between  the  Champion  and  Charles  Downing.  The  plants 
that  I  obtained  from  Mr.  Gardner  resemble  the  Champion 
so  closely,  both  in  foliage  and  fruit,  that  I  cannot  yet  dis- 
tinguish between  the  mother  and  daughter.  This  year  I 
shall  fruit  both  in  perfection,  and  fear  that  I  shall  have  to 
record  a  distinction  without  a  difference. 

I  hope  I  may  be  mistaken.  All  that  is  claimed  for  the 
Windsor  Chief  is  true  if  it  is  as  good  as  the  Champion,  a 
variety  that  I  have  ever  found  one  of  the  most  profitable 
on  my  place.  Pistillate. 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  363 

ALPINE   STRAWBERRIES. 

Alpines,  White  and  Red.  —  These  are  the  Fragaria  Vesca, 
the  strawberries  of  the  ancients,  and  well  worthy  of  a  place 
in  our  gardens  to-day.  As  I  have  already  stated,  they  are 
one  of  the  most  widely  spread  fruits  in  the  world  ;  for  while 
they  take  their  name  from  the  Alps,  there  are  few  mountains, 
where  the  temperature  is  sufficiently  cool,  on  which  they  are 
not  found,  either  in  this  country  or  abroad.  In  the  high 
latitudes  they  descend  into  the  fields,  and  grow  wild  every- 
where. The  berries  are  conical,  medium  to  small  in  size, 
and  the  fruit- stalks  rise  above  the  leaves.  In  flavor  they 
are  good,  very  delicate,  but  not  rich.  The  plants  are  very 
hardy,  and  moderately  productive.  Grown  from  the  seed 
they  reproduce  themselves  with  almost  unvarying  similarity, 
but  the  young  seedlings  produce  larger  berries  than  the  older 
plants.  The  foliage  of  the  White  variety  is  of  a  lighter  green 
than  that  of  the  Red,  but  in  other  respects  there  are  no  ma- 
terial differences,  except  hi  the  color. 

White  and  Red  Monthly  Alpines.  —  Varieties  similiar  to 
the  above,  with  the  exception  that  they  bear  continuously 
through  the  summer  and  fall,  if  moisture  is  maintained  and 
high  culture  given.  If  much  fruit  is  desired,  all  runners 
should  be  cut,  and  the  ground  made  rich.  We  are  often 
misled  by  synonymes  of  these  old  varieties,  as,  for  instance, 
Des  Quatre  Saisons,  Mexican  Everbearing,  Gallande,  etc. 
They  are  all  said  to  be  identical  with  the  common  monthly 
Alpines. 

White  and  Red  Bush  Alpines.  —  A  distinct  class  that  pro- 
duces no  runners,  but  are  propagated  by  dividing  the  roots. 
In  other  respects  the  plant  and  fruit  are  similiar  to  the  com- 
mon Alpines.  No  matter  how  small  the  division,  if  a  little 
root  is  attached,  it  will  grow  readily.  They  make  pretty  and 


364  SUCCESS    WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

useful  edgings  for  garden  walks,  and  with  good  culture  bear 
considerable  fruit,  especially  in  the  cool,  moist  months  of 
autumn.  Because,  throwing  out  no  runners,  they  give  very 
little  trouble,  and  I  have  ever  found  them  the  most  satisfac- 
tory of  the  monthly  strawberries.  I  see  no  reason  why  a 
good  demand  for  them,  as  a  fancy  fruit,  could  not  be 
created.  Be  this  as  it  may,  there  are  many  who  are  suffi- 
ciently civilized  to  consider  the  home  market  first ;  and  a 
dainty  dish  of  strawberries  on  an  October  evening,  and  a 
wood-fire  blazing  on  the  hearth,  form  a  combination  that 
might  reconcile  misanthropy  to  the  "  ills  of  life."  Mr. 
Downing  states  that  the  Bush  Alpines  were  first  brought  to 
this  country  by  the  late  Andrew  Parmentier,  of  Brooklyn. 

Wood  Strawberries,  White  and  Red.  — These  are  the  Eng- 
lish phases  of  the  Alpine,  or  f.  Vesca  species.  Their  fruit 
is  not  so  conical  as  the  Alpine  of  the  Continent,  or  our  own 
land,  but  is  "  roundish  ovate."  They  are  said  to  be  rather 
more  productive,  but  I  doubt  whether  they  differ  materially 
from  the  other  Alpines,  except  in  form.  They  are  the  straw- 
berries that  our  British  forefathers  ate,  and  are  the  same 
that  the  Bishop  of  Ely  brought  to  the  bloody  Protector  from 
his  "  gardayne  in  Holbeme." 

Montreuil.  —  Said  to  be  an  improved  variety  of  the 
Alpines. 

Green  Alpine  (Green  Pine  or  Wood,  Fraisier  Vert  ) .  — 
"  This  variety  was,  by  some,  supposed  to  be  a  distinct  spe- 
cies, but  the  appearance  of  the  plant  and  fruit  shows  it  to 
be  a  true  Alpine.  Berry  small,  roundish,  depressed,  green- 
ish brown;  flesh  green,  with  a  somewhat  musky  flavor." 
(Fuller.)  Mr.  Downing  says  the  berry  is  tinged  with  red- 
dish brown  on  the  sunny  side  at  maturity,  and  that  it  has  a 
peculiar,  rich,  pine-apple  flavor. 

Under  the  head  of  Alpines,  one  finds  in  the  catalogues 


VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES.  365 

a  bewildering  array  of  names,  especially  in  those  printed 
abroad  ;  but  I  am  quite  well  satisfied  that  if  all  these  named 
varieties  were  placed  in  a  trial  bed,  and  treated  precisely 
alike,  the  differences  between  them,  in  most  instances,  would 
be  found  slight  indeed,  too  slight  to  warrant  a  name  and 
separate  existence. 

HAUTBOIS   STRAWBERRIES  —  FRAGARIA  ELATIOR. 

As  far  as  I  can  learn,  this  class  was  more  raised  in  former 
years  than  at  present,  both  here  and  abroad.  At  any  rate, 
the  musky  flavor  of  the  "  Hoboys  "  (as  the  term  was  often 
spelled  in  rural  regions)  has  not  won  favor,  and  I  rarely 
meet  with  them  in  cultivation.  They  are  well  worth  a  little 
space  in  the  garden,  however,  and  are  well  suited  to  some 
tastes. 

Belle  de  Bordelaise  is  said  to  be  the  best  variety.  The 
berry  is  described  by  Mr.  Fuller,  as  "  roundish  oval,  dark, 
brownish  purple ;  flesh  white,  juicy,  sweet,  with  a  strong, 
musky  flavor." 

Common  Hautbois,  —  Fruit  medium  in  size,  reddish  green, 
musky.  The  fruit-stalks  rise  above  the  leaves,  —  hence  the 
term  Hautbois,  or  high  wood.  Not  worthy  of  cultivation. 

Prolific  Hautbois —  (Double  bearing,  and  having  many 
other  synonymes) .  —  Mr.  Downing  speaks  highly  of  this  va- 
riety, saying  that  it  is  distinguished  by  its  "  strong  habit,  and 
very  large  and  usually  perfect  flowers  borne  high  above  the 
leaves.  The  fruit  is  very  large  and  fine ;  dark  colored,  with 
a  peculiarly  rich,  slightly  musky  flavor."  Productive. 

Royal  Hautbois.  —  Said  to  be  one  of  the  largest,  most 
vigorous,  and  productive  of  this  class. 

Mr.  Merrick  writes  that  the  Hautbois  strawberries  find 
few  admirers  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  seem  equally 
neglected  abroad. 

P— ROE— XVII 


366  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

I  am  gathering  these  and  the  Alpines  into  trial-beds,  and 
thus  hope  to  learn  more  accurately  their  differences,  charac- 
teristics and  comparative  values. 

Chili  strawberries  are  now  rarely  met  with  in  cultivation. 
Mr.  Merrick  writes  of  them  :  "  Although  some  of  them  are 
extolled  for  amateur  culture,  they  are  of  little  value.  They 
are  large,  coarse,  very  apt  to  be  hollow,  with  soft,  poor- 
flavored  flesh.  They  have  been  so  thoroughly  intermingled 
with  other  species  that  it  is  difficult  to  say  of  certain  named 
kinds  that  they  are  or  are  not  partly  Chilis."  True  Chili, 
Wilmot's  Superb,  and  the  Yellow  Chili  are  named  as  the  best 
of  the  class. 

There  are  very  many  other  named  strawberries  that  I 
might  describe,  and  a  few  of  them  may  become  popular. 
Some  that  I  have  named  are  scarcely  worth  the  space,  and 
will  soon  be  forgotten.  In  my  next  revision,  I  expect  to 
drop  not  a  few  of  them.  It  should  be  our  constant  aim  to 
shorten  our  catalogues  of  fruits  rather  than  lengthen  them, 
to  the  bewilderment  and  loss  of  all  save  the  plant  grower. 
The  Duchess,  for  instance,  is  a  first-class  early  berry.  All 
others  having  the  same  general  characteristics  and  adapted 
to  the  same  soils,  but  which  are  inferior  to  it,  should  be  dis- 
carded. What  is  the  use  of  raising  second,  third,  and  fourth 
rate  berries  of  the  same  class?  Where  distinctions  are  so 
slight  as  to  puzzle  an  expert,  they  should  be  ignored,  and 
the  best  variety  of  the  class  preserved. 

I  refer  those  readers  who  would  like  to  see  a  list  of  almost 
every  strawberry  named  in  modern  times,  native  and  for- 
eign, to  Mr.  J.  M.  Merrick's  work,  "  The  Strawberry  and  its 
Culture." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

VARIETIES    OF   OTHER   SMALL    FRUITS. 

I  HAVE  already  written  so  fully  of  the  leading  and  profit- 
able varieties  of  raspberries,  blackberries,  currants,  and 
gooseberries,  that  little  more  remains  to  be  said  ;  since,  for 
reasons  previously  given,  I  do  not  care  to  go  into  long  de- 
scriptions of  obsolete  varieties,  nor  of  those  so  new  and  un- 
tested as  to  be  unknown  quantities  in  value.  I  am  putting 
everything  thought  worthy  of  test  in  trial-beds,  and  hope 
eventually  to  write  accurately  concerning  them. 

RASPBERRIES. 
Rubus  Idceus  and  Rubus  Strigosus. 

Arnold's  Orange.  —  Canes  strong,  branching,  yellowish 
brown,  almost  smooth,  and  producing  but  few  suckers. 
Fruit  large,  somewhat  shorter  than  Brinkle's  Orange,  and 
of  a  darker  orange  color ;  rich  in  flavor.  Originated  with 
Mr.  Charles  Arnold,  Paris,  Ontario,  C.  W. 

Antwerp  (English).  —  See  page  219. 

Antwerp  (Hudson  River).  —  See  pages  219-222. 

Antwerp  (Yellow  —  White  Antwerp) .  —  A  tender  variety 
that  needs  winter  protection,  good  culture,  and  vigorous 
pruning;  otherwise,  the  berries  are  imperfect  and  crumble 
badly  in  picking.  The  fruit  is  exceedingly  delicate  and  soft, 
and  must  be  picked  as  soon  as  ripe  or  it  cannot  be  handled. 


368  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL   FRUITS. 

It  is  much  surpassed  by  Brinkle's  Orange.  The  canes  are 
vigorous  and  the  variety  is  easily  grown. 

Brinkle's  Orange.  —  For  description,  see  page  237. 

Belle  de  Fontenay.  — See  page  224. 

Brandywine.  —  See  page  225. 

Belle  de  Palnau.  —  A  French  variety,  that  thrives  in  some 
localities.  Canes  are  strong,  vigorous,  upright,  covered  with 
short,  purplish  spines,  which  are  more  numerous  near  the 
ground  ;  berry  large,  obtuse  conical,  bright  crimson ;  firm 
for  so  juicy  and  fine-flavored  a  berry;  grains  large.  The 
berries  were  often  imperfect  on  my  place. 

Catawissa.  —  See  page  235.  This  variety  is  well  spoken 
of  by  some  good  authorities.  The  fact  that  it  bears  in 
autumn  should  give  it  some  consideration. 

Clarke.  —  See  page  238. 

Caroline.  —  See  page  239. 

Cuthbert.  — See  pages  240-243. 

Franconia.  —  See  page  224. 

Fastollf.  —  "  An  English  variety  of  high  reputation.  It 
derived  its  name  from  having  originated  near  the  ruins  of 
an  old  castle  so  called,  in  Great  Yarmouth.  Canes  strong, 
rather  erect,  branching ;  light  yellowish  brown,  with  few 
strong  bristles ;  fruit  very  large,  obtuse  or  roundish  conical, 
bright,  purplish  red,  rich  and  highly  flavored,  slightly  ad- 
hering to  the  germ  in  picking."  (Downing.) 

French.  —  (Vice- President  French).  —  Originated  with 
Dr.  Brinkle.  "  Canes  strong,  upright,  spines  short  and 
stout ;  fruit  medium  to  large,  roundish,  rich,  bright  crim- 
son, large  grains,  sweet  and  very  good."  (Barry.)  It  is 
foreign  in  its  parentage,  and  uncertain  in  many  localities. 

Hers  tine.  —  Seepages  237,  238. 

Hornet.  —  "  Raised  by  Souchet,  near  Paris.  Very  pro- 
ductive. Canes  very  strong,  vigorous,  upright  spines,  pur- 


VARIETIES  OF  OTHER  SMALL  FRUITS.         369 

plish,  rather  stout,  and  numerous  at  the  base;  fruit  very 
large,  conical,  often  irregular,  grains  large,  quite  hairy, 
compact,  crimson ;  flesh  rather  firm,  juicy,  sweet  and  good, 
separates  freely."  (Downing.)  This  variety  appears  to 
vary  greatly  with  locality. 

Kirtland.  —  (Cincinnati  Red.)  —  One  of  the  native  vari- 
eties once  grown  largely,  but  now  superseded.  Fruit  medium 
in  size,  obtuse,  conical,  soft,  and  not  very  high-flavored. 

Knevetfs  Giant.  —  Berry  large,  round,  light  crimson,  ad' 
heres  too  firmly  to  the  core,  and  often  crumbles  in  picking, 
but  is  juicy  and  good.  The  canes  are  very  strong  and  pro- 
ductive ;  spines  purplish,  short,  scattering.  An  English 
variety. 

Merveille  de  Quatre  Saisons.  —  A  French  variety.  This 
and  the  Belle  de  Fontenay  are  almost  as  hardy  as  any  of 
our  native  kinds,  and  thus  they  form  exceptions  to  the  for- 
eign sorts,  which  are  usually  tender.  Good  results  might  be 
secured  by  crossing  them  with  our  best  native  kinds.  The 
canes  of  this  variety  must  be  cut  to  the  ground  in  spring  if 
much  autumn  fruit  is  desired.  It  is  not  equal  to  the  Belle 
de  Fontenay,  to  which  class  it  belongs. 

Naomi.  —  Identical  with  Franconia. 

Northumberland  Fillbasket.  —  An  old-fashioned  English 
variety,  sometimes  found  in  the  garden  of  an  amateur. 

Pride  of  the  Hudson.  —  See  pages  205,  237. 

Pearl,  Bristol,  Thwack.  —  Native  varieties  that  resemble 
the  Brandywine,  but  are  not  equal  to  it  in  most  localities. 
They  are  passing  out  of  cultivation. 

Reliance.  —  A  seedling  of  the  Philadelphia,  but  judging 
from  one  year's  test,  much  superior  to  it,  and  worthy  of 
cultivation  in  those  regions  where  the  finer  varieties  can- 
not thrive.  It  is  hardy,  and  will  do  well  on  light  soils. 

Saunders.  —  See  page  238. 
24 


37O  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Rubus  occidentalis. 

For  descriptions  of  Davisoris  Thornless,  Doolittle,  or 
American  Improved,  Mammoth  Cluster,  and  Gregg,  see 
chapter  xxii. 

American  Black,  —  Common  black-cap  raspberry,  found 
wild  throughout  the  United  States.  Too  well  known  to 
need  description. 

American  White- Cap  (Yellow-Cap,  Golden-Cap).  — 
"  Also  scattered  widely  throughout  the  country,  but  not 
common.  Those  who  discover  it  often  imagine  that  they 
have  found  something  new  and  rare.  Berries  slightly  oval, 
grains  larger  than  those  of  the  black- cap,  yellow,  with  a 
white  bloom.  The  canes  are  light  yellow,  strong,  stocky, 
with  but  few  spines.  Propagated  from  the  tips.  It  might 
become  the  parent  of  very  fine  varieties."  (Fuller.) 

Miami  Black-  Cap.  —  A  vigorous,  productive  variety, 
found  growing  near  the  Miami  River,  in  Ohio.  The  fruit 
approaches  a  brownish  red  in  color,  and  is  not  equal  to 
the  Mammoth  Cluster  in  value. 

Philadelphia.  —  See  page  238. 

Seneca  Black-cap.  —  Raised  by  Mr.  Dell,  of  Seneca  Co., 
N.  Y.  The  fruit  is  between  the  Doolittle  and  Mammoth 
Cluster  in  size,  and  is  later  than  the  former ;  not  so  black, 
having  a  shade  of  purple,  and  is  juicy,  sweet,  and  good. 

Lum's  Everbearing,  and  Ohio  Everbearing  Black  Rasp- 
berries.—  Varieties  that  resemble  each  other.  If  a  good 
autumn  crop  is  desired,  cut  away  the  canes  in  the  spring, 
so  as  to  secure  a  strong  early  growth  of  new  wood,  on  which 
the  fruit  is  to  be  borne. 

Golden  Thornless.  —  A  large  variety  of  the  American 
White-Cap,  introduced  by  Purdy  &  Johnson,  Palmyra, 
N.  Y. 


VARIETIES  OF  OTHER  SMALL  FRUITS.         371 

Florence.  —  A  variety  resembling  the  above. 
Ganargua  and  New  Rochelle.  —  See  pages  239,  240. 


BLACKBERRIES. 

In  chapter  xxiv.  I  have  described  those  varieties  that 
have  proved  worthy  of  general  cultivation.  The  Dorches- 
ter winter-killed  so  badly  on  my  place,  and  the  fruit  was 
so  inferior  to  that  of  the  Kittatinny  in  size,  that  I  discarded 
it.  It  is  good  in  flavor.  The  Missouri  Mammoth  is  ten- 
der, and  often  not  productive.  There  are  new  varieties 
that  promise  well,  as  Taylor's  Prolific,  Ancient  Briton, 
Knox,  Warren,  Wachusett  Thornless,  Cro'  Nest  and  sev- 
eral others.  I  am  testing  them,  and  do  not  care  to  ex- 
press any  opinion  as  yet,  or  write  descriptions  that  would 
probably  need  considerable  revision  within  six  months. 

CURRANTS   AND    GOOSEBERRIES. 

In  chapters  xxvi.  and  xxvii.  may  be  found  a  description 
of  those  distinct  varieties  that  are  of  chief  value  in  this 
country.  I  find  no  good  reason  why  I  should  fill  pages 
with  descriptions  of  varieties  that  are  rarely  cultivated, 
and  which  might  well  give  place  to  better  kinds.  Event- 
ually, I  shall  give  the  results  gathered  from  my  trial-beds, 
in  which  I  am  placing  all  the  new  and  old  varieties  said 
to  be  worthy  of  cultivation. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

CLOSING   WORDS. 

ramble  among  the  small  fruits  is  over.  To  such 
readers  as  have  not  grown  weary  and  left  my  com- 
pany long  since,  I  will  say  but  few  words  in  parting. 

In  the  preceding  pages  I  have  tried  to  take  from  our 
practical  and  often  laborious  calling  its  dull,  commonplace, 
and  prosaic  aspects.  It  should  be  our  constant  aim  to 
lift  life  above  mere  plodding  drudgery.  It  is  our  great 
good  fortune  to  co-work  with  Nature,  and  usually  among 
her  loveliest  scenes.  Is  it  not  well  to  "look  up  to  the 
hills  "  occasionally,  from  whence  may  come  "  help  "  toward 
a  truer,  larger  manhood,  and  then,  instead  of  going  home 
to  the  heavy,  indigestible  .supper  too  often  spread  for  those 
who  are  weary  and  feverish  from  the  long,  hot  day,  would 
it  not  be  better  to  gather  some  sprays  of  the  fruit  whose 
mild  subacid  is  just  what  the  material  man  requires  in  mid- 
summer sultriness  ?  The  horticulturist  may  thrive  if  he  will, 
in  body  and  soul ;  for  Nature,  at  each  season,  furnishes  just 
such  supplies  as  are  best  adapted  to  his  need.  She  will 
develop  every  good  quality  he  possesses,  especially  his 
patience. 

As  we  have  passed  from  one  fruit  to  another,  I  have  ex- 
pressed my  own  views  frankly ;  at  the  same  time,  I  think 
the  reader  will  remember  that  I  have  taken  no  little  pains 
to  give  the  opinions  of  others.  Dogmatism  in  pomology  is 
as  objectionable  as  in  theology.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  my 
errors  pointed  out,  and  will  hasten  to  correct  them. 


CLOSING    WORDS.  373 

As  a  part  of  this  book  appeared  as  a  serial  in  "  Scribner's 
Magazine,"  I  was  encouraged  by  words  of  approval  from 
many  of  the  best  horticultural  authorities.  I  shall  not  deny 
that  I  was  very  glad  to  receive  such  favorable  opinions,  for 
I  had  much  and  just  doubt  of  my  ability  to  satisfy  those 
who  have  made  these  subjects  a  life-long  study,  and  to 
whom,  in  fact,  I  am  largely  indebted  for  the  little  I  do 
know.  Still  more  am  I  pleased  by  assurances  that  I  have 
turned  the  thoughts  of  many  toward  the  garden,  —  a  place 
that  is  naturally,  and,  I  think,  correctly,  associated  with 
man's  primal  and  happiest  condition.  We  must  recognize, 
however,  the  sad  change  in  the  gardening  as  well  as  garden- 
ers of  our  degenerate  world.  In  worm  and  insect,  blight 
and  mildew,  in  heat,  frost,  drought  and  storm,  in  weeds  so 
innumerable  that  we  are  tempted  to  believe  that  Nature 
has  a  leaning  toward  total  depravity,  we  have  much  to  con- 
tend with ;  and  in  the  ignorant,  careless,  and  often  dishonest 
laborer,  who  slashes  away  at  random,  we  find  our  chief  obsta- 
cle to  success.  In  spite  of  all  these  drawbacks,  the  work  of 
the  garden  is  the  play  and  pleasure  that  never  palls,  and 
which  the  oldest  and  wisest  never  outgrow. 

I  have  delayed  my  departure  too  long,  and,  since  I  can- 
not place  a  basket  of  President  Wilder  Strawberries  on  the 
tables  of  my  readers,  I  will  leave  with  them  the  best  pos- 
sible substitute,  the  exquisite  poem  of  H.  H. :  — 


MY    STRAWBERRY. 

O  MARVEL,  fruit  of  fruits,  I  pause 

To  reckon  thee.     I  ask  what  cause 

Set  free  so  much  of  red  from  heats 

At  core  of  earth,  and  mixed  such  sweets 

With  sour  and  spice ;  what  was  that  strength 

Which,  out  of  darkness,  length  by  length, 


374  SUCCESS   WITH  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Spun  all  thy  shining  threads  of  vine, 
Netting  the  fields  in  bond  as  thine ; 
I  see  thy  tendrils  drink  by  sips 
From  grass  and  clover's  smiling  lips; 
I  hear  thy  roots  dig  down  for  wells, 
Tapping  the  meadow's  hidden  cells ; 
Whole  generations  of  green  things, 
Descended  from  long  lines  of  springs, 
I  see  make  room  for  thee  to  bide, 
A  quiet  comrade  by  their  side  ; 
I  see  the  creeping  peoples  go 
Mysterious  journeys  to  and  fro  ; 
Treading  to  right  and  left  of  thee, 
Doing  thee  homage  wonderingly. 
I  see  the  wild  bees  as  they  fare 
Thy  cups  of  honey  drink,  but  spare ; 
I  mark  thee  bathe,  and  bathe  again, 
In  sweet,  uncalendared  spring  rain. 
I  watch  how  all  May  has  of  sun 
Makes  haste  to  have  thy  ripeness  done, 
While  all  her  nights  let  dews  escape 
To  set  and  cool  thy  perfect  shape. 
Ah,  fruit  of  fruits,  no  more  I  pause 
To  dream  and  seek  thy  hidden  laws ! 
I  stretch  my  hand,  and  dare  to  taste 
In  instant  of  delicious  waste 
On  single  feast,  all  things  that  went 
TSo  make  the  empire  thou  hast  spent1 


APPENDIX. 


NEW    VARIETIES. 

NEW   STRAWBERRIES. 

The  Jewell.  —  I  quote  the  following  description  by  the  origi- 
nators :  "  This  new  variety  was  raised  from  seed  by  P.  M. 
Augur  &  Sons,  in  1880,  and  is  one  of  a  lot  of  seedlings  pro- 
duced from  one  quart  of  Jersey  Queen  and  one  quart  of  Prince 
of  Berries  (the  seed  being  sown  together  and  taken  from  ex- 
hibition berries).  The  Jewell  is  the  finest  growing  variety  we 
have  ever  seen,  producing  an  abundance  of  very  large,  high- 
colored  fruit,  of  fine  quality.  Season  medium;  color  bright 
red,  changing  to  crimson  when  very  ripe  ;  flower  pistillate ; 
enormously  productive  ;  berry  very  solid  and  firm,  promising 
to  become  the  great  market  strawberry.  The  plant  is  robust 
and  vigorous,  and  has  never  shown  any  signs  of  rust  or  blight." 
ft  has  received  the  following  high  praise  from  Hon.  Marshall 
P.  Wilder:  "  The  large  size,  good  form,  bright  color  and  re- 
markable solidity  and  productiveness  will  make  it  a  permanent 
variety  for  years  to  come." 

Parry.  —  "  All  things  considered,  this  surpasses  any  novelty 
that  has  appeared  for  many  years.  Fruit  extra  large,  firm, 
handsome,  and  good ;  plant  vigorous  and  productive.  We  can 
recommend  it  both  for  market  and  the  home  garden.  Early  to 
medium." — J.  T.  Lovett.  This  is  high  praise  of  a  fruit  pro- 
duced by  a  rival  fruit-grower,  and  does  credit  to  the  fairness  of 
the  writer.  The  Parry  strawberry  was  produced  from  seed 
of  the  Jersey  Queen,  planted  in  the  summer  of  1880  by  Mr. 
William  Parry,  the  veteran  fruit-grower  of  New  Jersey.  He 


3/6  APPENDIX. 

thus  describes  it :  "  Plant  a  rank,  vigorous  grower,  clean 
foliage,  and  very  productive.  Berries  large,  obtuse  conical, 
bright  glossy  scarlet,  firm,  and  of  the  best  quality,  ripening  all 
over  at  once.  Blossoms  perfect." 

Dr.  F.  M.  Hexamer,  editor  "  American  Garden,"  also  speaks 
highly  of  it,  as  follows  :  "  The  Parry  has  proved  quite  satis- 
factory on  my  grounds.  The  plants  are  very  vigorous,  healthy, 
have  wintered  well,  and  have  yielded  an  abundant  crop  of  large, 
handsome  berries."  It  is  also  strongly  praised  by  many  other 
authorities,  and  has  received  many  premiums. 

Jersey  Queen.  —  The  plant  is  strong,  stocky,  and  vigorous, 
but  only  moderately  productive;  the  fruit  large  and  beautiful. 
It  must  have  high  culture,  and  not  be  allowed  to  run,  or  it  is  not 
satisfactory.  Pistillate. 

Henderson.  —  Said  to  be  moderately  vigorous,  producing 
handsome  fruit  of  exquisite  flavor.  Early  and  perfect  in 
flower.  Not  yet  generally  tested,  but  probably  one  of  the  best 
for  amateurs. 

Daniel  Boone.  —  "  Produces  good  crops ;  fruit  of  large  size, 
attractive  in  appearance,  medium  quality,  rather  soft,  and  late  in 
ripening;  plant  hardy  and  vigorous." — Charles  A.  Green. 
Farther  south  and  on  light  soils  the  foliage  is  said  to  blight. 
Pistillate. 

Dollar.  — "  For  beauty,  firmness,  and  high  quality  has  but 
few  equals,  but  the  foliage  blights  so  badly  at  Monmouth  as  to 
greatly  impair  its  value.  However,  it  blossoms  and  fruits  quite 
profusely  in  the  autumn,  giving  us  strawberries  when  other 
patches  are  bare  of  fruit.  Perfect  in  flower." — J.  T.  Lovett. 
If  the  tendency  to  autumn  bearing  is  so  great  as  to  enable  us  to 
secure  a  fair  crop  of  berries  in  late  summer  and  fall  this  variety 
is  a  valuable  acquisition.  I  shall  certainly  give  it  a  fair  trial. 
Farther  north  and  on  heavier  soils  the  foliage  may  be  entirely 
healthy. 

Cornelia.  —  Highly  praised  by  some,  and  declared  to  be  un- 
productive by  others.  It  undoubtedly  requires  high  culture  and 
runners  clipped.  With  such  treatment  it  promises  to  be  one  of 
the  best  late  berries.  Pistillate. 

Crystal  City. —  Said  to  have  been  found  growing  wild  in 
Missouri.  I  have  fruited  it  for  years,  and  have  ever  found  it 


APPENDIX.  377 

the  earliest  and  one  of  the  most  delicious  of  berries.  It  is  not 
valuable  for  market,  but  for  home  use,  if  the  runners  are 
clipped,  it  yields  a  fair  crop  of  berries,  with  the  genuine 
wild  flavor. 

May  King.  —  Described  as  almost  identical  with  the  old 
Crescent,  with  the  advantage  that  the  flower  is  perfect. 

Garretson.  —  Much  is  claimed  for  this  variety.  As  its  chief 
virtue  it  is  declared  to  maintain  a  uniform  size  and  regular  form 
throughout  a  long  picking  season.  It  has  been  awarded  several 
flattering  premiums.  Pistillate. 

Old  Iron-clad.  —  One  of  the  best  early  berries,  produced  on 
an  exceedingly  vigorous  plant  that  is  said  to  be  more  productive 
on  the  second  and  third  years  of  bearing  than  on  the  first.  The 
fruit,  not  the  plant,  closely  resembles  the  Wilson.  Perfect 
flower. 

Vineland.  —  Said  to  be  an  improvement  on  the  Kentucky, 
which  it  resembles.  Perfect  flower. 

Indiana.  —  Also  said  to  be  an  improvement  on  the  Charles 
Downing.  If  it  is  we  all  want  it,  but  we  have  tried  improvements 
on  the  fine  old  standards  before.  Perfect  flower. 

Harfs  Minnesota.  —  "I  know  of  no  variety  that  responds 
more  readily  to  good  culture  than  this.  Under  neglect  the 
berries  are  small,  but  of  a  bright  scarlet  color,  quite  firm  and  very 
good.  With  high  culture  it  is  very  large,  attractive,  and  holds 
its  size  remarkably  well.  Perfect  flower."  —  M.  Crawford. 

Jumbo.  —  Another  name  for  the  old  Cumberland  Triumph. 

Prince  of  Berries.  —  Originated  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand,  and 
like  nearly  all  the  varieties  sent  out  by  him,  requiring  very  high 
culture.  The  fruit  is  large,  meaty,  and  firm  in  flesh,  of  excel- 
lent flavor,  and  possessing  a  fine  aroma.  It  is  a  berry  for 
the  amateur  to  pet  and  enjoy  upon  his  table,  but  not  adapted  to 
ordinary  culture.  Perfect  flower. 

Manchester.  —  Pistillate.  "  The  Manchester  has  been  a 
favorite  with  us,  but,  like  most  varieties,  has  its  defects.  It  is 
deficient  in  flavor,  is  too  light  in  color,  is  subject  to  leaf  blight, 
and  is  exceedingly  soft.  It  is  necessary  to  pick  every  day  in 
order  to  get  it  into  market  in  good  condition.  We  were  pushed 
hard  the  past  season,  and  did  not  pick  the  Manchester  every 
day.  The  berries  left  the  farm  in  apparently  good  condition, 


3/8  APPENDIX. 

but  our  men  reported  that  they  melted  on  hot  days  like  so  much 
butter.  They  were  often  obliged  to  throw  them  away,  from  the 
fact  that  they  were  too  soft  to  be  sold.  This  softness,  however, 
might  have  been  obviated  in  a  measure  by  picking  more  fre- 
quently. It  is  very  productive,  and  the  berries  are  of  large 
size."  —  Charles  A.  Green.  The  words  quoted  above  embody 
my  own  experience  with  this  variety. 

James  Vick.  —  Should  have  been  a  better  berry  to  bear  so 
honored  a  name.  After  a  thorough  test  I  have  discarded  it. 
Nevertheless,  in  some  localities  it  has  proved  a  valuable  mar- 
ket berry.  Perfect  flower. 

Many  others  might  be  named,  but,  as  far  as  I  can  learn, 
they  have  but  short  careers  before  them.  If  by  well-doing  they 
win  their  way  to  the  front  we  shall  all  be  glad  to  recognize  their 
merits.  The  Jessie,  and  Crawford's  No.  6  promise  to  claim 
considerable  attention  in  the  future. 


NEW    RASPBERRIES. 

Golden  Queen.  —  This  new  variety  has  a  curious  history. 
Apparently  it  is  simply  an  albino  of  the  Cuthbert,  for  to  all 
intents  and  purposes  it  is  this  favorite  berry  with  the  exception 
of  its  color.  Mr.  Ezra  Stokes,  of  New  Jersey,  found  the  parent 
bush  growing  in  a  twelve-acre  field  of  Cuthberts,  but  is  unable 
to  say  whether  it  is  a  sport  or  a  seedling.  At  all  events,  it  was 
taken  up  and  propagated,  and  the  result  apparently  is  a  fixed 
and  valuable  variety  for  home  use.  I  doubt  whether  a  white 
raspberry  will  ever  find  much  favor  in  market,  —  not,  at  least, 
until  the  people  are  sufficiently  civilized  to  buy  white  grape 
currants.  In  color  it  is  said  to  be  a  beautiful  yellow  ;  in  flavor, 
hardiness,  and  vigor  it  is  declared  to  be  superior  to  its  parent, 
which  it  nevertheless  closely  resembles. 

Rancocas.  —  Another  raspberry  of  New  Jersey  origin.  It  was 
found  growing  wild.  Its  discoverer  claims  that  it  has  a  sturdy 
upright  growth,  with  a  tendency  to  make  branches  like  a  minia- 
ture tree.  These  branches  load  themselves  with  red  berries, 
which  ripen  early  and  nearly  all  together.  Hardiness  and  other 
good  qualities  are  claimed  for  it  by  the  discoverer,  who  is  the 
originator  of  the  Hansel.  If  it  is  no  better  than  this  variety  it 


APPENDIX.  379 

s  not  destined  to  long-continued  popularity  in  regions  where 
better  fruit  can  be  grown 

Hansel.  —  Red.  A  variety  of  the  wild  or  native  type  which 
in  my  grounds  so  closely  resembled  the  Highland  Hardy  that, 
apart  from  its  quality  of  earliness,  I  do  not  regard  it  of  value. 
It  is  not  by  any  means  identical  with  the  Highland  Hardy ;  but, 
having  picked  berries  of  both  varieties  at  the  same  time,  I  could 
not  tell  them  apart,  either  in  appearance  or  flavor.  Such 
berries  are  better  than  none  at  all,  and  may  be  grown  by  those 
who  can  raise  no  better.  It  is  also  claimed  that  earliness  in 
ripening,  and  hardiness  of  plants  made  the  variety  profitable; 
and  this,  no  doubt,  is  true  in  some  localities. 

Marlboro.  —  A  large,  showy,  good-flavored,  red  raspberry 
that  was  originated  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Caywood,  of  Marlboro,  N. 
Y.  It  has  done  well  on  my  grounds,  and  promises  finely  as  a 
market  berry,  as  its  earliness,  bright  color,  firmness,  and  ten- 
dency to  ripen  its  fruit  rapidly  and  all  together  give  the  grower 
a  chance  to  gather  and  sell  his  crop  within,  a  short  period.  I 
do  not  advise  any  one  to  grow  only  this  variety,  either  for  mar- 
ket or  home  use,  for  the  reason  that  it  gives  too  short  a  season. 
Employed  to  secure  a  succession  of  fruit,  it  is  an  excellent 
variety.  I  doubt  whether  the  canes  will  prove  hardy  throughout 
any  wide  extent  of  country,  for  it  evidently  contains  foreign 
blood.  I  think  it  well  worth  protection,  however,  if,  in  some 
regions,  experience  proves  it  to  be  not  entirely  hardy. 

BLACK  CAPS. 

Of  the  newer  blackcap  varieties  the  Souhegan  is  the  best  that 
I  have  seen  or  have  heard  spoken  of.  I  think  it  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  best  early  type  of  this  class  of  berries.  The  fruit 
is  of  good  size  and  flavor,  moderately  firm,  and  wonderfully 
abundant.  For  vigor,  hardiness,  and  freedom  from  disease  I  do 
not  know  that  it  is  surpassed  by  any  other  kind. 

The  Tyler  in  my  grounds  resembled  the  Souhegan  so  closely 
that  I  do  not  think  that  a  distinction  between  them  is  worth 
maintaining. 

The  Centennial  promised  wonderfully  well  at  first  on  my 
place,  but  after  two  or  three  years  developed  a  feebleness  and 
tendency  to  disease  which  led  me  to  discard  it. 


380  APPENDIX. 

The  Ohio  is  said  to  be  the  most  valuable  of  all  for  drying  pur- 
poses, for  the  reason  that  it  is  very  firm,  and  retains  its  flavor 
and  form  better  than  any  of  the  others.  It  has  been  stated  that 
but  two  and  a  half  to  three  quarts  of  fresh  berries  will  make  a 
pound  of  dried  fruit.  I  think  it  would  be  well  for  those 
who  are  far  from  market  to  experiment  with  this  variety. 
If  it  is  equal  to  the  claims  made  for  it,  it  can  be  made  very 
profitable. 

The  Nemaha  originated  with  Ex-Governor  Furnas,  of  Ne- 
braska. Charles  A.  Green  says  of  this  variety :  "  The  season 
for  ripening  with  the  Nemaha  is  a  trifle  later  than  the  Gregg. 
The  berries  are  equally  large,  of  better  quality,  equally  produc- 
tive and  vigorous,  and  by  far  more  hardy.  This  point  of  hardi- 
ness of  the  Nemaha  it  is  hoped  will  make  it  the  leading  late 
variety,  giving  it  preference  over  the  Gregg."  I  have  fruited  it 
alongside  of  the  Gregg  on  my  grounds,  but  have  failed  to  note 
any  difference  in  fruit,  cane,  or  season  of  ripening. 

The  Chapman,  Hopkins,  and  others  have  been  introduced,  but 
I  fail  to  see  why  they  should  take  the  place  of  the  fine  old  stan- 
dard varieties  already  described.  For  either  market  or  home 
use  the  Souhegan  (early)  and  Gregg  (late)  leave  little  else  to  be 
desired. 

BLACKBERRIES. 

Of  the  blackberries  recently  introduced  Wilson  Junior  with- 
out doubt  produces  the  largest  and  finest  fruit,  and  in  this 
respect  is  probably  unsurpassed  by  any  variety  now  in  existence. 
But  it  is  a  child  of  the  old  Wilson's  Early,  and  I  do  not  believe  it 
will  prove  hardy  north  of  New  Jersey.  It  resembles  its  well- 
known  parent,  but  the  fruit  is  earlier,  finer,  and  larger,  fit  for  use 
as  soon  as  black,  and  sufficiently  firm  to  carry  well  to  market. 
Those  who  have  tested  it  affirm  that,  although  it  yields  enor- 
mously, it  has  not  failed  to  perfect  its  crop.  I  should  give- it 
winter  protection  in  this  latitude. 

The  Early  Harvest  is  said  to  be  the  best  very  early  black- 
berry yet  introduced.  Mr.  J.  T.  Lovett  describes  it  as  "first- 
.  class  in  every  respect,  perfecting  its  entire  crop  before  any  other 
blackberry  can  be  gathered,"  and  as  "  wonderfully  prolific." 
It  is  of  medium  size,  of  good  flavor,  and  so  firm  that  it  carries 


APPENDIX.  381 

to  market  in  excellent  condition.  In  hardiness  it  is  said  to  be 
second  only  to  the  Snyder  and  Taylor. 

Taylor's  Prolific  is  a  variety  that  I  was  testing  when  this 
book  was  written.  It  has  fulfilled  its  promise.  The  plants  have 
proved  hardy  with  me,  the  fruit  of  medium  size,  unusually  fine- 
flavored,  and  very  abundant. 

In  the  West  Mr.  M.  Crawford  speaks  of  the  Stone  and  es- 
pecially of  the  Agawam  as  the  hardiest  of  all  the  varieties  that 
he  had  tested.  They  were  comparatively  uninjured  when  nearly 
all  the  others  were  killed  to  the  ground. 

There  are  other  kinds  which  are  good,  but  since  they  do  not 
equal  the  varieties  already  named  in  this  volume,  I  see  no  reason 
for  keeping  them  before  the  public. 

The  Industry  gooseberry  has  been  introduced  by  Ellwanger 
and  Barry,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,who  think  it  will  "revolutionize 
gooseberry  culture  in  this  country."  It  is  an  English  variety, 
but  has  succeeded  so  well  in  this  country  that  it  has  been  pro- 
pagated and  disseminated.  It  remains  to  be  seen  whether  it 
will  continue  to  retain  its  vigor  and  health  in  our  climate.  It  is 
said  to  be  unequalled  for  size,  of  fine  flavor,  very  productive, 
and  showing  no  signs  of  mildew. 


INDEX. 


ALPINE  Strawberry,  46,  363,  364. 
Alpine    Strawberry,    White  and    Red, 

W  363- 

Alpine,  Green,  364. 
Aphis,  282. 

BASKETS,  choice  in,  301,  302. 
Baskets  cheap  enough  to  be  given  away, 

3°3- 

Belle  de  Fontenay  Raspberry,  224. 

Blackberry,  New  Rochelle,  246. 

Blackberry,  Kittatinny,  247. 

Blackberry,  Wilson's  Early,  248. 

Blackberry,  Snyder,  248. 

Blackberries,  species  of,  244. 

Blackberries,  varieties  of,  245,  371. 

Blackberries,  foreign,  245. 

Blackberries,  wild,  246. 

Blackberries,  culture,  etc.,  250. 

Blackberries,  the  soil  suited  to,  250. 

Blackberries,  planting,  250. 

Blackberries,  pruning,  251. 

Blackberries,  winter  protection,  252. 

Blackberries,  propagation,  culture,  etc., 
250. 

Blackberries,  curl-leaf,  290. 

Blackberries,  rust,  292. 

Blackberries,  profits  on,  42. 

Bone  Meal,  104,  105. 

Book  Farming,  99. 

Borers,  291. 

Brandywine  Raspberry,  225,  226. 

Brinkle's  Orange  Raspberry,  237. 

Bryant,  Hon.  Wm.  Cullen,  editorial  on 
strawberries,  58. 

Buckwheat,  good  for  subduing  and  en- 
riching land,  75,  92. 


CALIFORNIA,  culture  of  small  fruits, 


Callus,  263. 

Canada,  why  adapted  to  small  fruit  cul- 

ture, 126. 

Capital  required,  39. 
Carolina  Raspberry,  239. 
Catalogues  of  varieties  soon  obsolete, 

120,  121. 

Champion  Strawberry,  128. 
Charles  Downing  Strawberry,  131. 
Charleston,  great  strawberry  centre,  154, 
Chili  Strawberries,  53. 
Clarke  Raspberry,  238. 
Clay  soil,  treatment  of,  92. 
Climate,  influence  of,  on  fruits,  22,  65. 
Closing  words,  372. 
Clover  as  a  green  crop,  93,  103. 
Crates,  when  first  used,  300. 
Crescent  Seedling  Strawberry,  127. 
Curl-leaf  in  the  Blackberry,  290. 
Curl-leaf  in  the  Raspberry,  289. 
Currant  borers,  297. 
Currant,  Black  Naples,  266. 
Currant,  Lee's  Prolific,  267. 
Currant,  Red  Dutch,  267. 
Currant,  White  Dutch,  267. 
Currant,  White  Grape,  268. 
Currant,  Cherry,  268. 
Currant,  Versailles,  269. 
Currant,  Victoria,  270. 
Currant,  worm,  293. 
Currant,  saw  fly,  293. 
Currants,  best  methods  of  shipping,  306^ 
Currants,  cuttings,  262. 
Currants,  species  of,  253. 
Currants,  history  of,  253. 


INDEX. 


Currants,  best  soil  for,  254. 
Currants,  their  native  haunts,  255. 
Currants,  their  chief  requirements,  255. 
Currants  will  not  thrive  in  the  South, 

255. 
Currants,    cultivation,    planting,    and 

pruning,  256-261. 

Currants  in  tree  and  bush  form,  258. 
Currants,  mulching,  259. 
Currants,  propagation,  262. 
Currants,  black,  266. 
Currants,  profits  in  growing,  42. 
Cuthbert  Raspberry,  240,  243. 

DAVIDSON'S  Thornless  Raspberry,  232. 
Diseases  of  Small  Fruits,  279. 
Doolittle  Raspberry,  232. 
Dorchester  Blackberry,  371. 
Drainage,  uses  of,  77. 
Drainage,  where  essential,  78. 
Drains,  best  kind,  79. 
Drains,  construction  of,  78,  79. 
Drains,  open,  80. 
Drains,  tile,  79. 
Drains,  box,  83. 
Duchess  Strawberry,  144. 

EXPERIENCES  from  widely  separated 

localities,  316. 
Experience,  nothing  can  take  its  place, 

38- 

FALL  Plowing,  94. 

Feebleness  resulting  from  over-stimula- 
tion, 282. 

Feebleness  resulting  from  starvation  and 
neglect,  282. 

Fertilizers,  best  for  light  land,  95. 

Fertilizers,  best  for  heavy  land,  93. 

Fertilizers,  surface  application  of,  96. 

Fertilizers,  commercial,  97. 

Fertilizers,  experience  with  commercial, 
104. 

Fertilizers,  special,  99,  107,  167. 

Flea  beetle,  288. 

Floods,  providing  against,  87. 

Florida,  entering  largely  into  strawberry 
culture,  154. 

Foliage  burning  or  sun-scalding,  282 


Forcing  under  glass,  181. 
Fragaria  vesca,  46. 
Fragaria  Virginiana,  52. 
Fragaria  Illincensis,  53. 
Fragaria  Indica,  53. 
Fragaria  Chilensis,  53. 

?ranconia  Raspberry,  223. 

Fruit  Farm  —  importance  of  location, 
37,  63. 

Fruit  growing  as  a  business,  36. 

:ANARGUA,  240. 

Gooseberry,  Downing,  276. 

Gooseberry,  Hough  ton,  275. 

Gooseberry,  Smith's  Improved,  276. 

Gooseberry,  Mountain  Seedling,  276. 

Gooseberry,  Cluster,  276. 

Gooseberries,  foreign  species,  272. 

Gooseberries,  English;  their  culture  in 
England,  273. 

Gooseberries,  mildew,  274. 

Gooseberries,  foreign  varieties,  274. 

Gooseberries,  seedlings  of  foreign  varie- 
ties, 274. 

Gooseberries,  native  species,  275. 

Gooseberries,  native  varieties,  275. 

Gooseberries,  wild,  277. 

Gooseberries,  native  species,  capable  of 
great  improvement,  278. 

Green  crops,  plowed  under,  75,  92. 

Gregg,  233. 

HAUTBOIS  Strawberry,  51,  365. 
Hellebore,  white,  294-296. 
Heredity  in  Strawberries,  189. 
Herstine,  237. 
Highland  Hardy,  229. 
Hovey's  Seedling  Strawberry,  52. 
Hudson  River  Antwerp,  219. 
Hybridizing,  188;  Mr.  Seth   Boyden's 

method,  194;  Mr.  E.  W.  Durand's 

method,  195. 
Hybrids,  how  to  learn  their  origin,  229. 

INSECT  enemies  of  small  fruits,  379. 

Insecticides,  287-297. 

Irrigation,  308-316. 

Irrigation  in  California,  316,  317. 

Irrigation  in  Texas,  318,  319. 


INDEX. 


385 


JUCUNDA  Strawberry,  55,  56,  85. 

KENTUCKY  Strawberry,  131. 
Kittatinny  Blackberry,  247. 

LABOR  and  Laborers,  331-333. 
Land,  unsubdued,  68. 
Land,  clearing,  70,  71. 
Land,  wet,  78. 
Land,  heavy,  85-93. 
Layer  plants,  118,  151. 
Lime,  92,  104. 

Location,  influence  on  Strawberries, 
62. 

MARKET  facilities,  63. 

Marlboro',  great  raspberry  centre,  221. 

Mammoth  Cluster,  232. 

Manure,  stable,  93,  103,  104. 

Marketing  small  fruits,  298. 

Marketing    small    fruits   in    the  olden 

time,  298. 

Moisture,  need  of,  66,  149. 
Monarch  of  the  West  Strawberry,  56. 
Mowing  Strawberries,  150. 
Mildew,  best  preventive  of,  274. 
Mixing  of  Strawberries,  198. 
Mulching,  148,  213. 

NEUNAN'S  Prolific  Strawberry,  129. 
New  varieties,  need  of  a  patent  on,  191. 
New  varieties,  why  often  sent  out  un- 
tested, 191. 

New  Rochelle  Raspberry,  239. 
New  Rochelle  Blackberry,  246. 
Norfolk,  great  Strawberry  centre,  153. 

PACKAGES,  the  best  for  small  fruits, 
302. 

Picking  small  fruits,  298. 

Pistillate  flower,  121. 

Pistillate  varieties,  192,  197. 

Plants,  number  per  acre,  rule  for  as- 
certaining, 337. 

Plants,  obtaining,  109. 

Plants,  mixed,  no. 

Plants,  digging,  in. 

Plants,  packing,  112. 

Plants,  mailing,  112. 


Plants,  pot-grown,  115. 

Plants,  layer,  118. 

Plants,  purity  of  stock,  no. 

Plants,  firming  ground  about,  135. 

Plants,  watering,  137. 

Plants,  shading,  137. 

Poisons,  caution  in  the  use  of,  297, 

Pollen,  121. 

Potash,  105. 

Pot-grown  plants,  115,  137. 

Pot-grown  plants,  cost  of,  117. 

Pot-grown  plants,  how  grown,  115. 

President  Wilder  Strawberry,  55,  132. 

Pride  of  the  Hudson  Raspberry,  204, 

205,  237. 

Profit  on  small  fruits,  21,  34,  40-43. 
Pruning-shears,  252. 

RASPBERRY,  Doolittle  or  American  Im- 
proved, 232. 

Raspberry,  Mammoth  Cluster,  or  Mc- 
Cormick,  232. 

Raspberry,  Gregg,  233. 

Raspberry,  Catawissa,  235. 

Raspberry,  Philadelphia,  235. 

Raspberry,  Pride  of  the  Hudson,  204, 

237- 

Raspberry,  suckers,  201,  208. 
Raspberry,  Red  Antwerp  of  England, 

219. 

Raspberry,  Hudson  River  Antwerp,  219. 
Raspberry,  Franconia,  223. 
Raspberry,  Belle  de  Fontenay,  224. 
Raspberry,  Brandywine,  225. 
Raspberry,  Turner,  226. 
Raspberry,  Davidson's  Thornless,  232. 
Raspberry,  Highland  Hardy,  229. 
Raspberry  rust,  292. 
Raspberry,  Brinkle's  Orange,  237. 
Raspberry,  Herstine,  237. 
Raspberry,  Saunders,  238. 
Raspberry,  Clarke,  238. 
Raspberry,  New  Rochelle,  239. 
Raspberry,  Caroline,  239. 
Raspberry,  Ganargua,  240. 
Raspberry,  Reliance,  240. 
Raspberry,  Cuthbert,  240-243. 
Raspberries,  species  of,  199. 
Raspberries,  history  of,  199. 


386 


INDEX. 


Raspberries,  varieties  of,  219,  243,  367- 
37i. 

Raspberries,  propagation  of,  201,, 

Raspberries,  originating  new  varieties, 
203. 

Raspberries,  new  seedlings  very  uncer- 
tain in  their  future,  204. 

Raspberries,  choice  of  land  for,  206. 

Raspberries,  preparing  ground  for,  206. 

Raspberries,  planting,  207. 

Raspberries,  when  to  plant,  207. 

Raspberries,  winter  protection  for  newly 
planted,  208. 

Raspberries,  cultivation  of,  208. 

Raspberries,  autumn  top-dressing,  208. 

Raspberries,  pruning,  summer  and  fall, 
211. 

Raspberries,  summer  pinching,  212. 

Raspberries,  cutting  back  makes  large 
fruit,  212. 

Raspberries,  mulching,  213. 

Raspberries,  staking,  213. 

Raspberries,  winter  protection,  215. 

Raspberries,  tying,  214. 

Raspberries,  taking  up  plants,  217. 

Raspberries,  storing  plants,  218. 

Raspberries,  foreign  and  native  species, 
219. 

Raspberries,  black-cap,  their  propaga- 
tion and  cultivation,  230-232. 

Raspberries,  black-cap,  planting,  231. 

Raspberries,  black-cap  tips,  layering, 
230. 

Raspberries,  Purple  Cane  family,  235. 

Raspberries  of  the  future,  236. 

Raspberries,  root  cuttings,  202. 

Raspberries,  root  cuttings,  forcing  under 
glass,  203. 

Raspberries,  culture  in  Marlboro',  origin 
of,  221. 

Raspberries,  traffic  on  the  Hudson,  222. 

Raspberries,  hybrids,  how  to  learn  their 
origin,  229. 

Raspberries,  Rubus  strigosus  species, 
its  chief  value,  229. 

Raspberries,  Rubus  occidentalis,  black- 
cap and  purple  cane  class,  230. 

Raspberries,  curl -leaf  in,  289. 

Raspberries,  borers  and  gall  insects,  291 . 


Raspberries,  perfectly  hardy,  24*. 

Raspberries,  foliage  of,  242. 

Raspberries,  hardiness  usually  settled 
in  August,  242. 

Raspberries,  best  packages  for,  305. 

Raspberries,  profits  on,  42. 

Remedies  for  diseases  and  insect  ene- 
mies of  small  fruits,  279-297. 

Root  cuttings,  202. 

Roots,  grubbing  out,  71. 

Roots,  handling,  in. 

Roots,  keep  from  frost,  wind,  and  heat, 

112. 

Roots,  shortening  strawberry,  136. 

Roots,  treatment  when  black  and  moldy, 
136. 

Rubus  strigosus,  229. 

Rubus  occidentalis,  230,  370. 

Rules  and  maxims,  331-337- 

Runners,  improvement  caused  by  cut- 
ting, 145,  165. 

Rust,  292. 

SANDY  soil,  treatment  of,  95. 

Saunders  Raspberry,  238. 

Saw  fly,  287. 

Seedlings,  proper  treatment  of  them, 
196. 

Seedlings,  but  few  worthy  of  preserva- 
tion, 196. 

Seth  Boyden  Strawberry,  130. 

Sharpless  Strawberry,  124,  126. 

Small  Fruits,  neglect  of,  24. 

Small  Fruits,  profits  on,  40-43,  130. 

Small  Fruits,  diseases  and  insect  ene- 
mies of,  279. 

Small  Fruits,  picking  and  marketing, 
298. 

Small  Fruits  in  New  Jersey,  324-326. 

Small  Fruits  in  the  far  North,  326-329. 

Small  Fruits,  the  present  enormous  traf- 
fic in,  300. 

Small  Fruits  in  California,  316-319. 

Small  Fruits  in  the  South,  319-323. 

Small  Fruits,  culture  simple,  28. 

Small  Fruits,  their  value  as  food,  28. 

Small  Fruits,  their  value  as  gifts,  29. 

Small    Fruits,   their  value  in  charity. 


INDEX. 


387 


Small   Fruits,   their  moral  value  and 

power,  30. 
Small  Fruiti,  their  value  in  our  home 

life,  31. 
Small  Fruits,  sources  of  varied  pleasure 

and  interest,  32. 

Small  Fruit  farming,   its  early  begin- 
nings, 34. 
Small  Fruit  farming,  its  present  large 

proportions,  35. 
Small   Fruit  farming,  its   requirements 

as  a  calling,  36. 

Small  Fruit  farming,  capital  needed,  39. 
Snow,  best  winter  protection,  126. 
Snyder  Blackberry,  248. 
Sod  land,  74. 

Soil,  influence  of  on  strawberries,  62. 
Soil,  the  best  for  strawberries,  62. 
Soils,  advantages  of  a  variety,  64. 
Soils,  preparing  and  enriching,  66. 
Soils,  preparation  by  drainage,  77. 
Soils,  wet,  78. 
Soils,  unfavorable,  91. 
Soils,  clay,  treatment  of,  92. 
Soils,  sandy,  treatment  of,  95, 
Soils,  gravelly,  treatment  of,  97. 
Soils,  peat,  treatment  of,  97. 
Soils,  when  fit  for  planting,  135. 
Southern  small  fruit  culture,  319,  323. 
Southern  strawberry  culture,  153. 
Staminate  varieties,  120. 
Steamer  loading  and  unloading,  180. 
Stock,  the  best  is  the  cheapest,  109,  in. 
Stock,  quality,  of,  no. 
Stock,  improving,  112. 
Storm,  November,  88. 
Strawberry,  origin  of  name,  45. 
Strawberry,  seeds  and  pulp,  45,  46. 
Strawberry,  Alpine,  46. 
Strawberries,  white  and  red,  132. 
Strawberries  of  the  ancients,  47. 
Strawberry,  history  of  the,  46-56. 
Strawberry,  Wood,  47. 
Strawberry,  Hautbois,  51,  365. 
Strawberry,  first  named  variety,  52. 
Strawberry,  Virginian  (F.  Virginiana), 

52. 
Strawberry,  Indian  (F.  Indica),  53. 


Strawberry,  Chili  (P.  CMensis),  53, 366. 
Strawberry,  President  Wilder,  55,  132. 
Strawberry,  Wilson's  Albany,  52,  58, 

127. 

Strawberry,  Hovey's  Seedling,  52. 
Strawberry,  Triomphe  de  Gand,  55. 
Strawberry,  Jucunda,  55,  85. 
Strawberry,  Monarch  of  the  West,  56, 

«3*- 

Strawberry  of  memory,  61. 

Strawberry  blossoms,  fertilizing  of,  121. 
Strawberry  blossoms,  varieties  of,  120. 
Strawberry,  Sharpless  Seedling,  124. 
Strawberry,  Crescent  Seedling,  127. 
Strawberry,  Champion,  128. 
Strawberry,  Windsor  Chief,  129. 
Strawberry,  Neunan's  Prolific,  129. 
Strawberry,  Seth  Boyden,  130. 
Strawberry,  Charles  Downing,  131. 
Strawberry,  Kentucky  Seedling,  131. 
Strawberry,  the  most  beautiful  and  de- 
licious, 132. 

Strawberry,  Duchess,  144. 
Strawberry,  its  culture   in    the   South, 

'S3- 
Strawberry  farm,  largest  in  the  world, 

description  of,  155-181. 
Strawberry,  qualities  essential  to  a  first 

class,  190. 

Strawberry  worm,  287. 
Strawberry  plants,  setting  out,  133,  134. 
Strawberry  plants,  number  set  per  day, 

T35- 

Strawberry  plants,  proper  distance  be- 
tween, 138. 

Strawberry  plants,  growing  for  market, 
151. 

Strawberries,  first  real  improvement  in, 
52. 

Strawberries,  the  favorite  species  abroad, 

54- 
Strawberries,    cut    the  blossoms   from 

spring  set  plants,  145. 
Strawberries,  of  commerce,  57-60. 
Strawberries,  of  the  garden,  57. 
Strawberries,  chief  need  of,  66. 
Strawberries,  plant  and  fruit,  analysis 

of,  101. 


388 


INDEX. 


Strawberries,  blossom,  construction  of, 
120. 

Strawberries,  showy,  for  market,  130. 

Strawberries,  the  five  great  species  of, 
46-56. 

Strawberries  vary  with  soil  and  location, 
62. 

Strawberries,  best  fertilizers  for,  102, 
107. 

Strawberries,  when  to  plant,  114. 

Strawberries,  summer  and  autumn  plant- 
ing, 1 1 6. 

Strawberries,  planting  late  in  fall, 
118. 

Strawberries,  winter  protection,  117. 

Strawberries,  varieties,  120-132. 

Strawberries,  new  varieties,  how  pro- 
duced, 121. 

Strawberries,  new  varieties  ;  why  second 
rate  varieties  are  sent  out,  121,  122. 

Strawberries,  trial  beds  of,  122. 

Strawberries,  trial  beds,  value  of,  123. 

Strawberries,  standard,  124. 

Strawberries,  varieties  that  are  adapted 
to  different  soils  and  localities,  125. 

Strawberries,  market  varieties,  127. 

Strawberries,  extraordinary  yield,  130. 

Strawberries,  the  right  and  wrong  meth- 
ods of  planting,  133. 

Strawberries,  cultivation,  139. 

Strawberries,  matted  bed  system  of  cul- 
ture, 139. 

Strawberries,  renewal  system,  141. 

Strawberries,  hill  system,  141. 

Strawberries,  narrow  row  system,  142- 
166. 

Strawberries,  picking,  174;  proper 
methods  of,  304. 

Strawberries,  forcing  under  glass,  182. 

Strawberries,  when  first  grown  under 
glass,  186. 

Strawberries,  originating  new  varieties, 
188. 

Strawberries,  mixing,  198. 

Strawberries,  how  first  sold  in  New 
York,  298. 

Strawberries,  repay  high  culture,  130. 

Strawberries,  winter  protection,  147. 


Strawberries,  spring  cultivation,  148, 
149,  166. 

Strawberries,  mulching,  148,  149. 

Strawberries,  prize,  how  raised,  150. 

Strawberries,  insufficient  watering  is  ia- 
jurious,  150. 

Strawberries,  mowing,  150. 

Strawberries,  foliage  burning,  151. 

Strawberries,  house  for  forcing,  186. 

Strawberries,  seedlings,  196,  197. 

Strawberries,  pistillate  varieties,  197. 

Strawberries,  all  but  the  best  should  b* 
discarded,  366. 

Strawberries,  affected  by  soil  and  cli- 
mate, 22. 

Strawberries,  culture  in  California,  316, 

3'9- 

Stream,  mountain,  86. 
Stumps,  extracting,  71. 
Success,  one  of  the  chief  conditions  of, 

100. 
Suckers,  201,  208. 

THIRDS,  Marlboro',  223. 

Tickets,  174. 

Tobacco  as  an  insecticide,  294. 

Top-dressing,  and  when  to  apply,  146, 

209. 

Trenching,  69. 
Trial-beds,  122. 

Triomphe  de  Gand  Strawberry,  55. 
Triple  Crown,  361. 
Turner  Raspberry,  226. 

VARIETIES,  originating  new,  188-196. 
Vigilance,  need  of  constant,  no. 

WATERING  strawberry  plants,  137. 

Weeding,  best  tool  for,  143. 

Weeds,  best  way  of  fighting,  210. 

White  Grub,  76,  144,  283-287. 

Wild  Strawberry,  61. 

Wilson's  Albany  Strawberry,  52, 58, 12JI 

Wilson's  Early  Blackberry,  248. 

Windsor  Chief  Strawberry,  129. 

Winter  protection,  147. 

Wood  ashes,  103. 

Wood  Strawberry,  47,  364, 


